Finding the right house can be stressful. Aside from all of the personal preferences – big bedrooms, nice flooring, spacious kitchen, updated bathrooms – you also have to take into account the structural integrity of the home. After all, it doesn’t really matter how great the kitchen looks if your home has a damaged foundation and is unsafe to live in. You may be wondering, though, if you should buy a house with foundation problems or if you should just keep searching. While it could be risky, there are some safeguards you can put in place to at least make sure you know what you are getting into before you make the house your home.
Even if you aren’t a foundation expert, you can certainly still take a look around at more than just cosmetic features of the house to see if there may be any underlying problems. Common visible signs of foundation problems include the following:
While a home inspection may cite any or all of these issues, it’s always safe to assume some responsibility and do your due diligence to make sure the home is safe. If you notice any of these signs, the home may have a foundation problem that you should address during the official inspection.
Although some of the signs of foundation problems are very visible, some are not, and most people aren’t foundation engineers who know how to look for even the tiniest bit of damage that can turn into a more serious issue. That’s why it’s important to hire the professionals. Kelley Construction, for example, provides professional foundation inspections. Our team of experts has years of experience in finding damage big and small and can also provide repairs and restorations to give your potential home a solid, safe foundation. It will just be up to you to decide if you would rather have it fixed or just find another home.
After your foundation inspection is complete, any foundation problems should be fixed immediately if you plan on buying the home. Most people will negotiate a lower price with the seller to account for how much repairs and restorations will cost. Although it may take a little extra time and a few more steps, at least you can rest assured that your home is safe for your family.
If you are in the process of buying a house or have one in mind but are worried about foundation problems, contact Kelley Construction. We are Central Illinois’ foundation experts and will be able to find any foundation issues, fix any damages, and take care of the root issue to ensure you won’t have problems down the road.
