A house’s value is affected by the condition of its foundation. So, whether you’re in the process of buying a home, selling one, or just assessing your existing home to ensure it retains its value, a thorough home inspection is a smart move. And that inspection should take a close look at the house’s foundation.
There are a lot of factors that can affect the foundation, causing damage underneath your home. Moisture, leaks, shifting soil, improperly laid or supported slabs and more can take a toll. A detailed home foundation inspection will tell you what’s working, what isn’t, and what you can do about it. You’ll know your options and be equipped to make a good decision that makes you confident in your home’s condition and value.
Let’s take a look at the ins and outs of a home inspection and why it is smart to have a home inspection before home buying or selling.
The Importance of Inspection for a Home
The effects of wear and tear take their toll on a home and its foundation in many ways. As time passes, a small foundational issue gets worse because the problem causing it is continuing to occur. The damage becomes cumulative. Regular home inspections find problems and solve them before they grow worse.
Here are some advantages of having your home inspected regularly:
1. Reveals hidden problems
Many foundation issues begin underneath the house, in parts of the home you don’t easily see. Out of sight means out of mind for most homeowners. A home inspection intentionally examines all those hard-to-reach places you don’t normally pay attention to, like the basement, crawl space, or chimney. And once a problem is spotted, you can fix it.
2. Saves money
Relatively speaking, home inspections can be quite affordable. And when you consider the price involved in home buying, the fee for a home inspection ends up being well-spent.
3. Keeps you informed
If you’re thinking of purchasing a home, an inspection can spot costly issues upfront. This gives you needed information so you can negotiate price, or even opt out before contracts get signed. And if you’re selling a home, it’s important to be fully aware of potential issues so you can address them.
4. Protects your investment
Foundation issues can lower the home’s value and safety. With an expert inspection, you can identify structural issues before you buy, helping you get a good investment in the home you ultimately choose to purchase.
5. Provides peace of mind
There’s nothing like the feeling of being confident in your home’s value, condition, and safety. Structural issues not only cause wall cracks or slanted floors; they can also lead to radon leaks, mold growth and similar issues that can cause health problems. A home inspection ensures your home is safe for you and your family to dwell in.
The Role of a Home Inspection
The chief goal of a home inspection is to have it evaluated for potential structural issues. If the foundation is sagging, cracked, leaking or weakened, the value of the house will be lessened. And since a home can look nice from the curb and still have structural issues, an inspection’s importance becomes clear.
It’s a good idea to invest in a proper home inspection performed by someone with strong expertise in foundational issues in your area.
When to Have a Home Inspection
- Invest in an inspection of the home’s structure and foundation when you:
- Buy a home and want a realistic, honest assessment of its condition
- Sell a house and want to pinpoint potential issues before going to contract
- See evidence the house has structural problems, such as wall cracks or slanted floors
- Experience flooding or other disasters that can affect the home’s structure
What to Expect During a Home Inspection
A home inspection’s importance is its ability to examine a house from top to bottom and identify any areas where the house’s structural integrity is in question. Since these issues can be costly and complicated to repair — and especially since they grow worse over time if left unaddressed — it’s vital to find and fix issues as soon as you can.
During a home inspection, the assessor will:
- Listen to your concerns, give you time to ask questions, and explain the process.
- Walk the perimeter of the home to look for cracks and damage to exterior walls.
- Enter the basement or crawlspace to look for excess moisture.
- Examine the condition of load-bearing piers, beams, and joists.
- Assess interior structures including interior walls, floors, ceilings, and doorways.
- Take measurements to figure out how much the home has moved in relation to its original footprint.
- Determine how level or out of level the house has become.
- Identify which issues are merely cosmetic, and which are more serious.
- Create a detailed report of all their findings and recommendations, and review them with you.
You can expect the detailed report to mention issues such as these:
- Visual issues that diminish curb appeal, such as unattractive cracks
- Visible damage to home systems such as plumbing, heating, and AC
- Potential structural concerns that could lower the overall value of the home
- Safety hazards and indications if something, such as an exterior chimney, seems in danger of collapsing
Be Confident in Your Home’s Structural Condition
Whether you’re interested in buying, selling, or preserving the condition of a house you plan to keep for many years, it’s important to have a thorough home inspection that gives you peace of mind. A foundation inspection will answer your questions and give you the information you need.
If you have foundation issues, check out our reviews to see how Edens Structural has helped other Tulsa area homeowners repair their home’s foundation.
