Selling a House With Foundation Issues: A Brief Guide
Selling your home and looking for a new place to live can be exciting. However, it can also be stressful and overwhelming — especially if you’re selling a house with foundation issues. In this brief guide, you’ll learn how to detect foundation problems and what steps to take after discovering them.
How Can I Tell If My Home Needs Foundation Work?
Do you suspect your home may have foundation problems? You’ll want to know for sure before putting it on the market. Not only will selling a house with code violations lead to a lower price, but not all buyers want to purchase a house with foundation problems.
To check for signs of issues with your home’s foundation, take a walk around outside the building. The following are tell-tale indicators that your house may need major repairs:
- Large cracks running horizontally or vertically: Cracks along your home’s exterior often signify a shifting or crumbling foundation. Although foundation damage is a gradual process, it can put a lot of pressure on the building materials and result in cracking.
- Support beams pulling away from the house: If you’re selling a house with foundation issues, you may notice the support beams leaning or pulling away from the main structure. The worse the foundation trouble is, the more these posts will lean.
- Bulging or bowing walls: Exterior walls are supposed to be straight. However, a foundation problem can cause them to bulge, bow, or warp. A house with structural problems will also show warning signs on the interior. Keep an eye out for the following as you check for structural damage:
- Interior walls shifting away from the ceiling or floor
- Doors and windows not opening or closing properly
- Standing water in the crawlspace
What Should I Do About Foundation Repairs?
Once you identify foundation problems, the question is what to do about it. Specific action steps might vary based on factors like the type of damage, its severity, and whether you’re selling to a cash investor. However, we recommend at least doing the following:
- Get a foundation inspection. Exterior and interior warning signs are one thing, but you need to know exactly what you’re dealing with. A professional inspection report can inform you about the present issue, repair costs, and how it might affect potential buyers.
- Decide if fixing the problem is worth it. Sometimes, major home repairs just aren’t worth the time, effort, money, and hassle. Other times, selling your home as-is isn’t an option until you pay the foundation repair cost and get the foundation repaired. You must determine whether to sell your house as-is or hire a structural engineer from a reputable foundation repair company to fix foundation issues.
Get Professional Help Selling Your Home
Are you looking at selling a house with foundation issues? At Professional Home Buyers, we’re here to answer questions about selling as-is and help the home selling process go as smoothly as possible. Call us at 316.202.1628 to get started today with a free quote on real estate agent services near you!