Hot summers lead to falling groundwater levels – and this can have major consequences. The soil’s bearing capacity deteriorates, and if you are unlucky, it leads to houses starting to sink. For Charlotta Gill, who lives in Grödinge, the settlement under the house has created several problems. The roof is leaking, cracks are forming in the walls, and the house is getting more and more crooked all the time.
– We have to use a fence stick to close the windows, which lean in a different direction than the window frame.
The insurance does not cover the damage. Home insurance includes protection for natural damage such as flooding after torrential rain, storm and hail, but damage from subsidence is usually not covered. Despite all the challenges, Charlotta Gill wants to stay, but says she would do things differently if she had bought a house today.
– Even if this was inspected by a structural engineer, I would go even further today, and examine the foundation in more detail.
She is not alone in her problem. Daniel Cucarano, who works with floor lifting of houses, says that many people got in touch after the summers of 2018 and 2022.
– There were a lot more people than usual who contacted us when it had been extra hot.
Charlotta Gill advises others to think through what things can affect a house before a purchase.
– That one thinks about what risks there are with groundwater lowering and climate change.
Watch Charlotta Gill talk about the sinking house and the problems that followed in the video.