hey, do we have any Foundation guys here, dudes or non dude guys who know stuff about foundations? like how bad does this look
There wasn't any noticeable shifting on the floors inside. The realtor used a phone app as a level but I'm pretty sure that's real iffy as an accurate measuring device.
the big crack on the corner by the exposed cables is on a side of the house near a large tree on the neighboring property
the realtor thought the shifting in the foundation was caused by the drain (covered by leaves in one of the pics) dumping water straight down, but when I looked at it again I noticed concrete that was poured under the gutter, probably intended to slant away and divert it into a little ditch leading to the street
so I'm thinking the shifting in the foundation predates the drainage issue and was maybe caused by the tree? I didn't see any big roots TOO close but, idk
this house is kind of small (smaller than our apartment) but it's in a bourgie cracker restaurant neighborhood, or close enough to walk to it, so I imagine the ol' housing-as-commodities we got going on means it will constantly increase in value as long
but idk if something like this means it's like totally fucked because we can't really afford to buy this place AND put tens of thousands of dollars into some foundation repair bullshit
p.s. side note it has a really nice neighborhood, neighbor across the street has a FREE SEED LIBRARY! and a COMMUNITY PLANT EXCHANGE! that's amazing, the neighbor on the side grows peppers and idk what else in above ground containers, looks like spicy shit too. The other neighbor is a soccer fan but nothing can be perfect right?
p.p.s. the realtor kept speaking of insane plans to expand the bathroom but it also has a very large attic that like imo if finished could add like A Bunch of Value to the house? so, idk, it might be a good idea???
it's so hard to decide because it's so much money and contracts and like what if the foundation is totally fucked??? I guess the owner was a contractor and he checked it out when he bought it, but it's been a rental property since 2007. The HVAC also looks old.
but if we take too long to decide, someone might just buy it up because like why not it's in this great location! who cares if the foundations is fucked if you have a million dollars to spend fixing it!
When it comes to something like this:
Don't trust the realtor, they don't know anything.
Don't trust the home inspector, they are legally protected from having to know anything.
Find out how much a structural engineer costs and have them look at it during your inspection period. Consider making it a separate contingency deadline beyond your inspection period if you think it might take extra time.
Sometimes homeowners have a feeling that something is wrong and they don't want you poking around because then they'll be liable if they don't disclose it once they learn about the problem. In an environment where people aren't bidding shit up in cash the week it comes on the market, it's a red flag if they're scared off by you wanting to look under the hood.
Some states have inspection clauses that require a homeowner to repair any issues within X% of the sale price, others are very Wild West and just let you open it back up to negotiation. If you think that the potential for foundation repairs is going to scare the seller off, you can specify that the foundation inspection is separate and they wouldn't have to repair it but you wouldn't be required to move forward with the purchase. You could figure it out from there if you have to.
That said, I've always heard from contractors that any crack you can't fit a pencil in is probably fine.