Can You Sell a House with Foundation Issues?
Selling a home with foundation issues can be a difficult process even if the rest of the house is already in top shape. Unfortunately, many homeowners find that their property has foundation issues when it’s time to sell.
Don’t worry – the good news is that selling a house with major repairs like foundation issues is possible. In this article we’re going to over everything you need to know to sell a house with foundation issues with the least amount of headache and hassle, including:
- What causes foundation issues
- How to determine if you have foundation issues
- How much it costs to sell a house with major repairs like foundation problems
- The best way to sell your home quickly, with cash in hand
First, let’s cover the basics…
What Causes Foundation Issues on a House?
If you haven’t yet looked over your house for sale in great detail, you may wonder if you should expect foundation issues in the first place. There are various causes of cracked or damaged foundations in Southern California.
Of course, another important cause is earthquakes. Quakes can damage your home directly, or they can cause cracks that then expand and contract more forcefully than soil does on its own.
Unfortunately, homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover cracked foundation repair due to soil settling or earth movement, so homeowners are faced with repair bills in the thousands of dollars. As a result, many will look for information on how to sell a house with foundation problems.
What are Signs You Have Foundation Problems?
What are Signs You Have Foundation Problems?
Do you need to worry about foundation issues on a house?
If so, you can look for these signs of damage in your property before you decide how to move forward with a sale.
Cracks in Walls, Doors, and Windows
Many times, small cracks don’t seem like much of a problem. You probably attribute it to “the house settling,” or you may not notice them at all.
Unfortunately, having cracks in walls, doors, and around windows can be a major sign of foundation problems. Untreated, these cracks can grow and allow leaks into your home.
If water is getting in, you’ll have two problems that are both expensive: mold in your home, and additional damage to your foundation, both which can lead to you selling a home in need of major repair.
Sloping or uneven floors
When you walk inside, do you feel a slight slope – or do you notice that things aren’t quite as level as they used to be? This might be more obvious in a transition from one room to another.
Has the kitchen floor dropped a bit, causing a ledge as you walk into your main living space? Do you see ripples or unevenness in other areas of the floor?
If so, this is another sign that you have foundation problems.
Gaps in window panes, crown molding, and more
Anytime a window that used to close smoothly no longer does, or you notice gaps around the window that weren’t there before, you’re seeing a sign of shifting and foundation damage.
The same is true if you notice space between crown molding and your ceiling. Your home may be shifting or settling due to changes in the soil over the seasons, or due to a more jarring event like an earthquake or tremor.
Issues in your foundation wall
Outside your home, you can check your foundation by looking down the length of your home from a corner. Focusing on the foundation wall, does it appear straight – both vertically and horizontally?
Next, use a level to see if the wall is leaning or is still straight upright. Finally, check for concrete weakness using a screwdriver. If it flakes or chips, that’s a bad sign for your home.
A bulge or a curve in a foundation wall indicates that there has been shifting or damage to the foundation. You may also find that the soil around your home is putting pressure on your walls– you may need better drainage to prevent damage.
Is it Cost Effective to Fix Foundation Issues?
Unfortunately, the cost to fix house foundation problems can be very high. The first thing you’ll need is to pay the foundation inspection cost the company will charge. Next, you’ll face the repair cost itself.
The average cost to repair a foundation in California is $7,199. Major repairs can cost over $15,000 in the state.
Unfortunately, homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover foundation damage from flooding, earthquakes, or shifting and settling over time. This means you’ll be left to pay all of that money out of your own pocket.
For many landlords looking to sell their rental property and get out of the business, that money isn’t laying around. The same is true if you’ve recently inherited a home or are planning to downsize houses to save money. Taking care of major repairs is generally out of the question.
Instead, you may want to look into selling the house with foundation issues through an alternative means.
How Do You Sell a House with Foundation Issues?
Once you’ve determined that you definitely have foundation damage and need to sell your home, it’s time to look into the options you have for a low-hassle experience.
Listing on the MLS with a Realtor
A traditional sales process would involve preparing your home, getting a real estate agent, and putting the home on the market. Of course, you’ll have to disclose there is foundation damage when you sell it.
Unfortunately, this disclosure means that many of the good buyers will stay away.
You may even have trouble getting a strong real estate agent to take the listing.
You may end up with a rookie agent and buyers who are focused on paying as little as possible.
With this, you’ll still have to cover escrow fees, agent commissions and closing costs.
There’s no reason to go through the headache just to get a low sale price and have to give some of that away to a real estate agent.
Instead, consider selling the house in ‘as-is’ condition to a Real Estate Investor.
Sell in ‘as-is’ condition to an Investor
Selling your home “as is” is your best option and SoCal Home Buyers is a great option if you want a quick, cash-focused, and efficient sale. We buy houses for cash, as-is.
This means you don’t have to clean, repair, or move anything.
Once we come to an agreement on a fair price you won’t need to worry about that foundation – it’s our concern now!
We make selling a house in need of repair, specifically with foundation issues extremely easy, and we’ll walk you through every step from beginning to end. You’ll save thousands of dollars in fees and can avoid closing costs because you won’t be paying an agent – and that money will go straight into your pocket!
The paperwork you need to fill out is simple and easy to understand, unlike the mountains of forms and disclosures required in a traditional sale.
You’ll find that you can sell your home to a professional home cash buyer like us and can close and be done in 30 days or less – no need to wait weeks hoping someone will buy your home on the MLS.
You deserve the peace of mind that comes from working with a professional home buyer.
Don’t worry about how much it is to fix those foundation issues or any other major repairs in your home.
Whether you’ve inherited a home you need to sell quickly, or you’re a landlord who wants out of a property, we’re here to help you.
