Buying a Victorian Property in Manchester? Your Essential Subsidence Inspection Checklist

Victorian properties give Chorlton, Didsbury, West Didsbury, and Levenshulme their character. They’re spacious, beautifully proportioned, and—if you’re not careful—potentially expensive to maintain.

Before you fall in love with those bay windows and high ceilings, check for subsidence warning signs.

Your viewing inspection checklist:

External checks:
– Examine all external brickwork for diagonal or stepped cracks
– Check corners and bay window areas (stress concentrates here)
– Look at the junction between main house and rear extension
– Assess crack width (anything >3mm needs professional assessment)
– Note large trees—what species? How close to the property?

Internal checks:
– Open and close every door (smooth operation or sticking?)
– Test all windows (especially sash windows—do they slide properly?)
– Look for cracks above doorways and in room corners
– Check where walls meet ceilings (gaps appearing?)
– Note floor slopes (bring a marble or use phone spirit level app)

High-risk Manchester property types:
– Terraced houses with large trees nearby
– Properties within 50 metres of canals
– Homes in areas with former mine workings (parts of Worsley, Walkden)
– Victorian villas with south-facing bay windows and mature gardens

Questions to ask sellers:
– Any structural repairs or subsidence claims?
– Age and species of garden trees?
– When were gutters and drains last serviced?
– Any neighbour subsidence issues?

The crucial survey:
Don’t rely on basic mortgage valuations. For Manchester Victorian properties—especially in Chorlton, Didsbury, Levenshulme—invest in a full structural survey (£600-900).

Look for these phrases in survey reports: “monitoring recommended,” “evidence of historic movement,” “significant cracking.” These give you negotiating power or an exit route.

Subsidence found after purchase is your £20,000 problem. Subsidence found during surveys is the seller’s problem to fix or discount.

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