Selling a home is a big process, but it becomes a different kind of process if there are potential issues with it. While there are little fixes that can easily be done to a home, which are mostly cosmetic, structural issues raise a different challenge. The interesting thing is that selling homes with these problems is not as hard as you might think.

For your purposes, you might be looking into selling a home with foundation issues. This is a structural fault in the home, but it does not limit your potential to sell. There are simply different steps you need to take to find a buyer. Hopefully this information will serve you well if you plan on selling a home with foundation issues.

Get the Home Inspected

In the case of any home sale, you want to have an inspector come in and appraise the home for any issues in the foundation. While you may be able to see very obvious problems with the home, having a trained specialist will give you a much better understanding of what issues you are dealing with. It might be a simple, fixable crack or it could be as big as an uneven floor. No matter the severity of the foundation issue, you should always get it checked out so you have a better understanding when selling it, renovating, or if the inspector has any recommendations on what you should or should not do.

Know The Market for Your Home

Foundation issues as a selling con can depend greatly on the market you are selling in. Southern California is a popular destination to buy a home because of the climate, but issues like earthquakes and hill terrain impact how important foundation issues are for a home. If you were selling a home in Southern California, the experts here make it clear that knowing your market for buyers is crucial when it comes to a home with a foundation issue. This does not mean that you are limited, it still depends on other factors. However, it is good to know the region specific causes that can be important when it comes with selling homes structurally.

Causes for Foundation Issues

Much like earthquakes, the environment can determine how often a foundation issue could occur, or why it would be more common. Flooding can create damage to concrete or flooring in basements, low land wet areas like swamps or marshes pose a potential for foundation issues. Colder climates also cause moisture in soil to expand or contract, which pushes slabs of concrete to move around. Knowing the causes for this issue will help you if you ever need to get the damage or foundation fixed, which is a big question you may need to ask if this is your plan. Causes for foundational issues are sometimes unpredictable, but you can at least have a heads up on how they start to form.

When to Hire a Contractor for Repairs

Depending on how severe the foundational damage is, you may want to consider hiring a contractor to repair before selling. If you are planning on selling a home with foundational damage it is good to know what condition it is in. These damages can go up to $50 000 on the high end, but average around $4000, which is not wildly out of budget, especially if you are aware of the damage. It is generally recognized that if there are foundational issues with a house, they should be fixed before selling. Sometimes buyers might want to negotiate lower prices to buy the house because they know that the home has damages. In any case, making your buyer aware that there are existing issues with the foundation is just good practice, and makes you appear as a more trustworthy seller.

Selling a home with foundation issues is not a task that is not accomplishable, the opposite in fact. Many people out there looking to buy a home are willing to ignore problems or damaged parts in favor of a slightly reduced price on the listing. There is also a good market for people who want to flip the house and view it as a project. Selling homes with foundation problems rely on some factors that were listed here, which include the ability to repair it if needed, identifying the factors that have caused issues, being aware of your market, and committing to a home inspection. With this knowledge, you will be able to sell a home with foundation issues without any undue stress.

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