Crack in house - which way to go?

[RedFraggle]

Hi Folks, hoping for some advice on which way to go regarding a problem with my mothers house. The house is 1920's terraced with solid walls not cavity and it's pebble dash rendered (done at the time of construction). A crack has appeared in the render on the back of the house and she believes she heard it crack. I doubt the crack is only the render and suspect something nasty is lurking beneath it.
The neighbours have been having a lot of building work done by a handyman which to the best of our knowledge (99% sure; he is known to be a complete bodger) has not been overseen by building control which has included removing some of the back wall to open up the house into the conservatory and knocking through between the kitchen and dining room. A single steel has gone in which we think is between the kitchen and dining room. On the back wall a door has been removed and an archway widened to a larger opening into the conservatory.
My question is which road do we go down in terms of getting it evaluated and sorted out. Do we go straight to her insurers and tell them about the crack and our our concerns about next door or do we pay an independent surveyor to look first? I've heard some horror stories about dealings with insurance companies.
Any advice appreciated. Thanks

 

[Alastairreid]

How do you know the work is not being overseen by building control?

I would get in touch with your local authority and air your concerns.

 

[^woody^]

It would be very rare for work within a terrace to affect the external walls of neighbouring properties. It would be just as rare for a solid wall to crack just like that. If the wall has cracked, it will crack just the same on the inside

The most likely thing with render is an instant crack due to thermal stresses and damp - ie temperature changes, and the render has debonded.

An insurer is not independent, and so should not be relied on for advice. Further, they may not even send out anyone who is qualified to comment on whatever they see. This will all be recoreded, even if it's nothing, and could affect premiums

If you do go to an independent structural engineer, prepare yourself for costs for an initial visit, then a recommendation to remove the render for looking at the wall behind (ie costs for this), then if any slight cracks are seen, a period of monitoring, and all the time costs are adding up

 

[RedFraggle]

How do you know the work is not being overseen by building control?
.

We don't, we just suspect that is the case as I said partly because the builder is a known bodger and also because they "don't think it's necessary to bother with all that"

Thanks both and ^woody^ you've confirmed my initial hesitance to go to the insurance company. I think I'll get a surveyor out to assess and follow up with building control.

 

[joe-90]

Hack a bit of render off and post a picture. Why waste 100s on nothing?

 

[joinerjohn]

It's certainly not beyond the realms of possibility that the opening, next door have created in the external wall, has affected your external wall. As someone else has pointed out, if it's a solid wall, check the plaster on the inside. If the brickwork has cracked, this will show on the inside plaster as well. If it is cracked on the inside, I'd seek urgent advice from someone local to you.

 

[RedFraggle]

Hack a bit of render off and post a picture. Why waste 100s on nothing?

No can do sadly, my Mum is 200 miles away from me.

 

[Nige F]

Hack a bit of render off and post a picture. Why waste 100s on nothing?

No can do sadly, my Mum is 200 miles away from me.

to the south - nay even south of the M25