Fears rise over home insurance subsidence risk

Rising concern about the possibility of houses suffering from subsidence has been reported by owners of garden centres across the UK, a home insurance provider has revealed.

According to research from financial services provider Halifax Home Insurance, 80 per cent of garden centre managers admit that the last 12 months have seen an increase in the number of customers asking them about subsidence issues.

Subsidence typically occurs when a tree or shrub is unable to find water and so extends its roots underneath a property, destabilising foundations and potentially undermining its structural rigidity.

And home insurance policyholders should remember that certain plants carry a higher risk of subsidence than others, Halifax Home Insurance's senior manager of structural claims Neil Curling pointed out.

Green-fingered Britons planting new exotic species should carefully research the impact they could have, he said.

Britons may be unaware of the appropriate distance to plant an exotic species away from their property.

There are generally two elements to comprehensive home insurance policies.

Building insurance covers the external structure of a property while home contents insurance protects items contained within the house.