NATURE → Sinkholes
Yes it does happen! Houses can be swallowed-up by massive caverns suddenly appearing beneath our feet!
20 meter wide sinkhole opens up in St, Albans, Hertfordshire
Source: Daily Star. See - https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/huge-20m-sinkhole-uk-st-17204760
Causes and Occurance
Sinkhholes (technical term = dolines)occur when surface material collapses into areas of underground erosion, into natural underground voids, caves or caverns present in areas underlain by water soluable geology such as limestone, chalk or gypsum and into old mine workings etc., in fact into any underground void formed within the earth.
Varieties of sinkhole or doline
Source: British Geological Survey
Conclusions
Avoid areas underlain by soluable geology.
Distribution of soluable geology in the UK
Source: British Geological Survey