<< Most Recent Articles

Bad driveway conversions 'could hit property values'

UK homeowners could be losing money on the value of their properties due to poor driveway conversions, it has been revealed.

While homeowners may believe that a larger driveway or patio conversion could increase the value of their home, the opposite may be the case if the work carried out is not sympathetic to the surrounding environment.

According to the report by the British Geographical Survey, while trees and lawns are able to soak up rainwater, driveways that have been concreted over to be used as extra parking space can cause water to run off into drains, thereby creating ideal conditions for subsidence as roots searching for moisture upset the soil that underpins nearby foundations.

The insurer Esure, who commissioned the research, estimates that this is a problem which could affect up to 100,000 homes in the south-east.

Lee Jones, of the British Geographical Survey, said: "It is a simple fact that trees need moisture, so anything that deprives them of moisture over time in clay soil can create the conditions for subsidence."

Homeowners are advised to be conscious of the surrounding trees when undertaking any work and avoid laying concrete in a place where soil or lawn was previously close to a large tree.

23/02/2007 17:08:15

Most Recent Articles