Spring is here, and this is the most popular time of the year for people to look for a new home. In this current Seller’s Market, houses have become less available than they were just a few short years ago. Many people are often prepared to compromise on somethings when it comes to buying a home – commute distance, basement, lot size, school district, and even budget – there are other compromises that are not easy to make. A house with a foundation issue should be a red flag for any potential home buyer. No one wants to purchase a new home only to have to throw more money at a problem that requires serious repair work.
When going for a showing of a potential new home, you need to visually inspect the foundation before deciding to make an offer. Look for large cracks in the foundation, stair-step cracks in the bricks or stones, serious erosion around the outside of the foundation. These are often signs of serious foundational issues that will require time and money to repair.
As a potential home buyer, you have the right to hire a foundation repair contractor to come out and assess the foundational issues of the home. Do not be tricked into a home inspector’s assessment, because a typical home inspector will not be able to correctly evaluate foundational damage. The foundation inspection will most likely come out of your own pocket, but it will be a significantly lower cost than having to repair a foundation issue that you were unaware of.
If the foundation repair contractor comes back with bad news about the foundation, you have two options: walk away or negotiate with the seller for a lower price. If this home is your dream home in the perfect location, it may be worth a lower price knowing that you will have to spend money to have it repaired. It will be important to keep in mind that foundation repairs take time, so you will need to decide if the headache involved will be worth it.
At Anglin’s Foundation & Masonry Repairs, we want to help home buyers, sellers, and owners find stability and strength in their foundation. Whether or not to buy a house with foundation issues is a huge decision. Anglin’s Foundation & Masonry Repairs can help you determine whether the problem is worth fixing or walking away from. Call today.
Posted on behalf of John Anglin, Anglin’s Foundation & Masonry Repairs
