As a homeowner, you have already committed a whole lot of expenses like a down payment, monthly mortgage, home insurance, as well as closing costs. In addition, you may have even started setting some money aside to remodel your home! With a homeowner having to do all of this, purchasing a home involves a huge investment, which should be protected diligently to prevent costly repairs. One of these costly repairs is the foundation repair.
The foundation is the sole most significant part of any house and a house cannot stand or will collapse without a stable foundation. A need for foundation repair arises from a foundation problem. Fixing a foundation problem can be very costly. As such, avoiding foundation repair costs before selling a home should be considered by homeowners.
While homeowners can sell their homes that require foundation repair to credible real estate investors and cash home buyers like Kevalla Investments, LLC, homeowners need to have a full understanding of the cause of foundation problems, the signs of foundation problems, and how to prevent foundation problems.
The Cause of Foundation Problems
It is common knowledge that water is key to our everyday survival because it is required for drinking, swimming, cooking, firefighting, house building, and so on. On the contrary, water is the number one culprit that is responsible for foundation issues.
The foundation of a home or house that is built in a location where soil/ground expands when water is present and contracts in the absence of water (dry weather conditions) tend to rise, sink, or expand. The interior and exterior of a home can serve as an entrance for water which can damage a foundation in several ways. As a result, both potential home buyers and existing homeowners need to watch out for signs of foundation problems- its presence or damage.
The Signs of Foundation Problems
Several signs can indicate that a foundation problem is present or a foundation is damaged. While it is very important to engage an expert to establish a foundation problem and recommend the best fix, a homeowner can look out for the following signs of foundation problems.
- Sagging Floors and Ceilings
Sagging floors and ceilings are one of the signs of foundation problems. This is more apparent in the floors and it’s exhibited as warps and unevenness in the floors, which might be an indication that a house is settling or compressing.
- Unaligned Doors and Window
A house’s doors and windows are not aligned if it is difficult to open and close them because one side of a door/window is higher than the other side. This could mean there is the presence of a foundation problem resulting from high humidity that is causing the foundation to shift.
- Separation of Cabinets, Counters, and Other Fixed Structure from the Walls
As a homeowner, if you spot small gaps between the walls and fixtures (such as cabinets and counters that are supposed to be firmly attached to the walls), it might be a sign that your home has a foundation issue. Fixtures that are attached to the floors and walls usually respond to unevenness in floors and walls by separating or detaching from them.
- Appearance of Cracks in Dry Walls and Floors
It is worth noting that not all cracks appearing on dry walls and floors are dangerous because they’re not symptoms of a foundation problem. These types of cracks are usually hairline cracks that may result from painting or the usage of heavy materials.
On the other hand, the real culprits here are wide cracks. These are usually dangerous and may get larger with time. This may indicate the occurrence of a serious foundation problem.
- Collection of Water in the Basement or Surrounds of House Edges
Homeowners can figure out there is the presence of a foundation issue if their basement has an unpleasant musty odor, which may also mean that a mildew problem is arising from water/moisture that is entering the house through cracks in the foundation.
We shall look at how property owners can prevent foundation problems in part 2 of this article.
If you’re a homeowner and you choose to sell your house to us, we will pay all cash and closing costs. Not only that, you can be confident that you will be able to sell quickly and conveniently in a hassle-free manner by simply removing yourself from the hassles and huge responsibilities of dealing with costly foundation repairs. All you have to do is just disclose to us that you are selling just as-is, with a foundation problem. If this sounds like an option for you, contact us now for a fair cash offer, or call or text (240) 449-1770 now and we will get everything done for you!
This article is only to enlighten the readers and is not meant to be used for tax, real estate, financial, insurance, legal, or investment advice. Kevalla Investments, LLC encourages you to contact a professional regarding your circumstances. Please confer with your advisor when making financial or legal decisions.
