There are a lot of factors that go into buying a home. If you are currently in the process of buying a home, you probably see how quickly things move from the image you had in your head of a perfect home to the nitty-gritty of budget calculations, the local school districts, and the foundation. Buying a house means making a few compromises because there is no one house that perfectly fits what you imagined. However, one of the things that you’ll need to be very careful about compromising on is your home’s foundation.

The foundation is literally what holds your home up. Foundation issues can cause damage in many areas of the home and compromise the structural integrity of the building. More so, you don’t want to purchase your dream home only to find out that the foundation is cracked and you need to make extensive foundation repairs. In today’s blog post, our foundation experts at A-1 Concrete Leveling and Foundation Repair in Nashville are going to share a few things to consider as you decide whether or not to buy a house with foundation damage. Signs of foundation problems in a house don’t necessarily mean that you need to give up on a home that is otherwise perfect for you — it just means you need to be especially careful and thorough in your inspects and get the foundation repair necessary to make the house safe for you and your family. Continue reading to learn more, and if your Nashville home is in need of foundation repair, contact us today!

Inspect the foundation yourself

When you’re at the beginning of the home buying process and looking at multiple houses, be sure that you make looking at the foundation part of the tour. Most homes will have small cracks in the foundation from the normal settling, so look for cracks that are larger than a quarter of an inch. You should also look for cracks in exterior brick, cracking interior walls, and leaning chimneys. A leaning chimney is often one of the first signs of foundation damage, as it may be leaning due to a sinking foundation. You should also test doors and windows to see if they close properly, as gaps around doors and windows can be indicators that the foundation is changing. You can also get down in the crawl spaces and look for moisture leaks. If the basement smells damp and musty, it could be a sign of a serious structural problem.

Hire a structural engineer

If the house you are looking to buy does have foundation issues, it’s important to hire a structural engineer to inspect the home and assess the extent of the damage. While you may have already had a home inspector look at the home, they won’t be able to tell you as much about the home as an engineer will. Although it costs more money, it’s worth it to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into before you choose to purchase the home.

How drainage issues can affect foundations

When you’re looking to buy a new home, it’s important to inspect how the drainage and plumbing are currently affecting the foundation. While there may not be foundation issues at the moment that you purchase the home, there may be issues down the road. If a home has drainage issues, such as land sloping down towards the house instead of away, that moisture could build up and eventually damage your home’s foundation. A lot of moisture around the foundation can also cause the home to sink and shift, which causes stress and can crack the foundation, cause uneven floors, and many other structural problems.

How to know if a house has had previous foundation repair

Some homebuyers are wary about buying a house if it has had foundation repair. However, it may be beneficial to buy a house that was recently fixed, because any shifting of the soil has already occurred, and the new piers supporting the foundation will be placed on more stable, load-bearing soil. Just because a house hasn’t had foundation repair doesn’t mean it won’t need to be repaired in the future. Before buying any house, though, you should have the structure independently inspected and evaluated for any signs of previous repairs. If the house had foundation repair in the past, it’s important to determine if there is a warranty that can be transferred to you to protect that investment.

Get foundation repair

Foundation issues don’t need to be a deal-breaker! But you do need to be smart about how you move forward. You’ll likely need to get foundation repair right away, perhaps even before you move in, so you should negotiate with the seller and ask for a lower price to accommodate for the cost of the repair. Homes with significant foundation problems tend to sell for 20 to 25 percent lower than homes without damage, while the cost to repair is typically 10 percent of the homes value, so you could actually end up saving money. Plus, when you work with A-1 Concrete Leveling and Foundation Repair in Nashville, you can trust that the problem will be resolved quickly and correctly so that you can move into your new home without having to worry about structural problems!

Schedule Foundation Repair in Nashville Today

We hope that you feel more confident in the home buying process after reading this blog post. If you ever need foundation repair, for a new home or your existing home, we’re the foundation contractors for your project. There’s nothing we love more than a job well done and a happy client, and we especially love helping new homeowners move into a safe, secure home! We utilize cutting-edge methods and materials to not only repair your foundation, but also ensure that your home will be able to stand strong for years to come.

Contact us today to get started with a free quote on foundation repair in the Nashville area. We’ll solve your foundation problems in no time!