Cracks and drains

[hhr]

I'm interested in an empty property for sale. When viewing I noticed a crack between main house and single storey extension (house was re-rendered after this was done approx 13/14 yrs ago). The crack runs all the way down. It does look slightly wider at the top. I thought it was probably due to the way that it was tied in.

However, there is a drain nearby. The downpipe finishes slightly above the drain (don't know if it overflows). I noticed that the block paving to the right of the drain has sunk. Where the blocks have sunk you can see the bricks of the main house. There are bricks missing under the main house as I can put my hand underneath (red box on photo). I can't tell how far the missing bricks extend to the right but on the left they are there immediately behind the drain.

Is the crack likely to be related to the drains? Any ideas why bricks would be missing under the house? The drains go out into the drive not under the house as far as I can tell from plans

Thank you

 

[Mrs Ten Names]

It really needs a more intrusive investigation than mere photos.
If you're really interested ask a local builder to investigate with the owners permission.

But the crack looks more like a settlement crack between the two buildings.
Were they built at different times? In which case they might have different foundations. The different window reveals appear to suggest the difference in ages of buildings