would you buy a house that has had foundation repair? (recommendation, price)

[88txaggie]

[SIZE=2]Our first choice house has had extensive foundation repair: it is a San Antonio area house and has had $28K worth of foundation repair. We have seen the repair report and the engineering inspection which led to the repair. It appears that the repair company followed the engineer's recommendations - the only thing that hasn't been done yet is to add gutters to the house - that was recommended by the engineer but wasn't within the scope of the foundation repair company's job, I don't think.

The repair involved 35 piers (19 exterior/15 interior/1 slap panel, and comes with a lifetime transferable warranty.

So, what are the downsides to this house? Are there risks involved with buying a house that has been repaired in this manner? Other than asking the seller to install the gutters per the engineers recommendations, should our offer include anything els[/SIZE]

[MikeJaquish]

Originally Posted by 88txaggie

[SIZE=2]Our first choice house has had extensive foundation repair: it is a San Antonio area house and has had $28K worth of foundation repair. We have seen the repair report and the engineering inspection which led to the repair. It appears that the repair company followed the engineer's recommendations - the only thing that hasn't been done yet is to add gutters to the house - that was recommended by the engineer but wasn't within the scope of the foundation repair company's job, I don't think. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]The repair involved 35 piers (19 exterior/15 interior/1 slap panel, and comes with a lifetime transferable warranty.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]So, what are the downsides to this house? Are there risks involved with buying a house that has been repaired in this manner? Other than asking the seller to install the gutters per the engineers recommendations, should our offer include anything els[/SIZE]

I would have the engineer re-inspect and certify that the recommendation on the foundation repair was completed properly.

And, I would REALLY have to like the home and price.

[jctx]

Has it been inspected already for the sale? The inspector you hire can be made aware of your interests in specifically targeting the basement, looking for signs associated with continued problems (cracks, mold, mildew, moisture, etc) to direct areas of concern for you. I am not an expert, but the home we're purchasing has also had foundation repair very recently and we are in the same boat. Transferable lifetime guarantee(/warranty?) and all. I just dont know if the company hired to do the work was ordered to take care of the absolute minimum, or what (for cost savings).

You can also contact another foundation repair company and explain everything you know about what was done and what the problem was, and see if they tell can enlighten you on anything...or have your inspector do it (like we did) so it can be relayed through a trusted individual with a deeper knowledge on these things than you might have. That helped us tremendously, and we also had a builder go in and examine everything at no charge in hopes we will hire that company when we make future changes to the home (renovations etc).

[Silverfall]

$28K out here would jack the house up and pour a new foundation...

If the house is an older home (ie 1900) or something they I think it tends to be a relief for most people knowing the foundation has been taking care of. If the house is newer, then I would worry why the builder did such a crappy job with the foundation, and what else did they skimp on in building the house.

[DMenscha]

Would you buy a car that had been in an accident? I would. If it's been fixed, it's fixed.

A section of the Bay Bridge fell down in 1989. They fixed it and people have been driving on it for almost 20 years. Nothing lasts forever, but good maintenance can keep a whole lot of things going for an awfully long time.

[88txaggie]

The house was built in 2001. There are generally no basements in San Antonio or elsewhere in Texas. The area has been through extreme drought, which in Texas is usually what causes foundation issues. We are not under contract yet, we have not made an offer; so we have not had the house reinspected.

The suggestions for using the original engineering report for inspection are good, we will do that if we decide to make an offer on the house. $28K is a lot of $$ to put into repairs, more than it would cost for repairs here in Plano. I think the difference is the soil/rocky area of the hill country vs the soil here - for instance it costs way more to build a pool in the area of San Antonio we are considering due to digging through rock.

The repairs are extensive, which is what give us pause; but on the other hand the problems have been repaired, and are guaranteed, so is there a downside? That is really my question.

[DonnaReed]

Curious:

Is "foundation repair" very unusual?

Does foundation repair mean that it was incorrect to begin with?

Or that it became damaged? If so, how does/can a home's foundation become damaged?

Can inspectors always determine that or can people buy homes with lousy or incorrect or damaged foundations?

Is it better to buy a home with foundation repair and know that any problems/issues have been taken care of as opposed to not knowing?

Is it like knee problems i.e., can be one thing after another and not fully "cured"?

[88txaggie]

Donna - all good questions; I know the answer to some, but not others - foundation repair can mean that it was a problem to begin with, but I don't know how you tell if that was the case. Most of the time around here (DFW) foundation repair is a result of differing weather conditions; a long drought can cause the dirt around and underneath the foundation to shift which leads to problems. This can be exacerbated by the home owner not watering the foundation properly, and to a certain extent can be avoided by watering properly.

I would hope that by the repair we are avoiding future issues rather than not knowing, but I do NOT know the answer to your other questions - is it like knee problems, can inspectors tell, etc.

[kevcrawford]

I'm a Realtor in SA and yes, you should be fine. As long as you have the home inspected and the engineering report is clean, you should be OK. Foundations are repaired here all the time and if done professionally, it'll last the life of the house.

If you're in a place like Alamo Heights, you're going to have more movement than if you're in the Stone Oak area, just based on the soil content.

[DonnaReed]

Originally Posted by 88txaggie

Donna - all good questions; I know the answer to some, but not others - foundation repair can mean that it was a problem to begin with, but I don't know how you tell if that was the case. Most of the time around here (DFW) foundation repair is a result of differing weather conditions; a long drought can cause the dirt around and underneath the foundation to shift which leads to problems. This can be exacerbated by the home owner not watering the foundation properly, and to a certain extent can be avoided by watering properly.

I would hope that by the repair we are avoiding future issues rather than not knowing, but I do NOT know the answer to your other questions - is it like knee problems, can inspectors tell, etc.

thanks 88txaggie,

that was enlightening...

btw, "watering the foundation" is a whole new concept to me here in NY...*s*