Finding it hard to get your head around the foundations of what underpinning actually is? Is the task of finding underpinned property insurance driving you into the ground?

It really doesn’t have to be a painstaking process. In simple terms, underpinning is where a building has instable foundations often as an effect of subsidence. Contracted engineers will assess the property and identify whether the situation requires underpinning as a solution to stabilise the building. If it is deemed appropriate to do so, they will then look into which method is the most suitable for the property.

Some of the common ways of applying underpinning are through setting concrete blocks around the existing foundations, inserting steel beams or mini-piling. All methods as you would expect are fairly complicated and should only be performed by qualified and approved engineers.

If your house has suffered from subsidence and/or had to be underpinned, chances are that you will have difficulty obtaining insurance at a reasonable price. Perhaps more problematic is that some insurance companies will not have a great deal of expertise in this type of insurance and whilst they will happily take your hard earned money for a policy, they may not be able to deliver the type of service that you will require from them.

Your property is probably your most treasured purchase and therefore it only makes sense that you would pull out all the stops to ensure that it is adequately protected. The problem is, you may not be an expert in underpinning insurance and you may not be aware of which companies are the best equipped to look after your home.

If you don’t have this expertise you don’t need to take yourself down to the library to swot up, you just need to speak to somebody who knows their driven piles from their screw piles. Given the complex nature and great expense of underpinning, it is a real gamble if you leave it to an insurer that is not knowledgeable in this field. There is a huge amount of highly technical structural processes involved and to underpin a standard property it can cost up to £20,000.

By referring to insurance companies who specialise in underpinning and/or subsidence, you can be sure that if it comes to assessing the best method to strengthen the foundations of your property, the right decision will be made. Choosing the wrong company could cause you a massive headache further down the line. What may seem like a great deal on popular comparison sites, it is unlikely that much analysis has gone into your personal circumstances and if the level of expertise is sub-standard your home could really be at risk.

Another crucial factor in selecting the correct company is whether they will be able to provide not just foundational support but emotional support. It can be a traumatic experience and you will inevitably receive much better support and understanding from specialist insurance companies.

Don’t live to regret your choice of insurer, call the experts today!

Peter Yates is a freelance writer for www.subsidenceinsurances.co.uk and numerous other property sites. He loves Property Ladder and any property related programmes!