Tree height and house

With regard to the trees in the photo:-
The conifer is not old enough to have done any structural damage yet but there is potential for it to happen. It seems to me that it would show evidence of potential damage in the small wall by the road first. The major problem with that tree, at the moment, is the fact that it cuts out light from the house. I'd remove it although it's a pretty specimen.

There should be no problem with soil movement. It is only one tree. If you're on clay there would have been a little bit of shrinkage due to water uptake through the roots. When the tree is removed there will be a slight counter balance of expansion (heave). None of these will have had any effect on the house at the age the tree is.

The fibrous feeding roots could, possibly, have gotten into your drains but you won't know until you have a problem - hopefully, never. Keep some photos of the tree and the removal. If there is a future insurance claim for drain damage you may be able to show it was from tree root damage and not just wear and tear. I think this is an unlikely situation if you have the tree removed soon. Don't bother to try and remove the roots unless they're in the way.

It sounds as though you are quite capable of removing the tree yourself. If you want to get rid of the stump and don't use a stump grinder then leave at least 4ft of the trunk in place. Then dig around the tree, a few feet from the trunk, chop any visible roots and use the trunk as a lever to break it away. There may be a big taproot going straight down from the centre.

The magnolia is OK. Keep it cut and shaped so that it doesn't get too big. This also helps restrict further root growth, although that shouldn't be a problem, as it puts most of its strength into trying to regrow the branches.

The hydrangea is not a problem but keep an eye on your downpipe. Check each year to see whether the branches may be getting too big behind it. A bit of careful pruning can easily sort that out.

 

I agree with HarmonyArb . There's very little chance of root damage at the moment.

 

I presume you're talking about Catalpa bignoides. Although the roots spread very wide they're not known for doing structural damage to buildings.