Foundation problem questions. About to buy a new home. (Allen: sale, real estate)

[kyhm]

I am about to buy a new home, and the home that I'd like to buy is on the slope actually.

First of all, the backyard is sloped down toward the home. There is a step between the yard and the porch, so I am not worrying about water coming into the home. But I am worrying that the slope might affect the foundation. Can I ask your opinions?

In addition, the road passing in front of the home is also sloped from the left side of the home to the right side of the home.
Do you see any foundation issues?
Also, do you see any resale issues?

Thank you.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by kyhm

I am about to buy a new home, and the home that I'd like to buy is on the slope actually.

First of all, the backyard is sloped down toward the home. There is a step between the yard and the porch, so I am not worrying about water coming into the home. But I am worrying that the slope might affect the foundation. Can I ask your opinions?

In addition, the road passing in front of the home is also sloped from the left side of the home to the right side of the home.
Do you see any foundation issues?
Also, do you see any resale issues?

Thank you.

These are general descriptions without a lot to go on without seeing the home and the potential drainage patterns around it. Did you have the home inspected? What did the Home Inspector point out?

[kyhm]

Originally Posted by escanlan

These are general descriptions without a lot to go on without seeing the home and the potential drainage patterns around it. Did you have the home inspected? What did the Home Inspector point out?

To be more descriptive, there are 4-5 stair steps in the backyard which is about 40 feet long.

I didn't have the home inspected, but my realtor says there would be no resale issue, although, I am not sure if I take his words 100%.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by kyhm

To be more descriptive, there are 4-5 stair steps in the backyard which is about 40 feet long.

I didn't have the home inspected, but my realtor says there would be no resale issue, although, I am not sure if I take his words 100%.

If you are somewhat familiar with home construction, have kept up with the build process, and are confident there are no issues then having the home inspected is a personal comfort level choice. However I always recommend even on new homes to have them inspected before you go to closing. It is in your best interest to find and record all issues and present them to the builder. Even if you don't have the builder immediately correct them then they are on notice the issues were there before you took possession and later there is no argument that they were not wear and tear or anything you did to change the condition. Also if there are significant enough issues that would cause you inconvenience later when the builder does repair them you can always have them repaired before you take possession and move in.

Back to your original question. There is a buyer for every properly built and maintained home. It would be difficult for anyone to say though how many people would be willing to buy your specific home with its condition. What is important though now is not resale but if the grading is an issue that can contribute to foundation or other issues. Again without actually seeing the property it would be difficult to give any assessment as to whether grading and drainage is an issue.

This might sound silly but it works real well if you are considering not having it checked out. Basically "Think like water" and take a look at your property. Water will find its own level and flow wherever the path of least resistance is. For example in the rear yard that slopes to the house. Is there a place of lesser resistance for the water to flow to before it reaches the house when it flows from the back of the property toward the home? At the home is there sufficient downward slope away from the home to drain water from around the home? Again "Think like water" and pretend you're a flow of water to understand where the water will go.

If anyone tells you something that can have a significant effect on your well being (financial or otherwise) then have them put that in writing! That's one way to determine if they have the courage of their convictions to help you or if there are other ulterior motives for their advice.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by kyhm

To be more descriptive, there are 4-5 stair steps in the backyard which is about 40 feet long.

I didn't have the home inspected, but my realtor says there would be no resale issue, although, I am not sure if I take his words 100%.

I had a similar slope in the backyard in a house I owned overseas and it was an issue when we had a rare downpour. This was England so it was rainier there than here (not as rainy as people assume) but heavy downpours for extended periods of time and flash flooding like we get here were rare for that part of the country. If we did have a sharp shower, it was usually brief.

For our yard to flood, it had to rain for days on end. This did happen from time to time and when it did, our back patio would flood. A couple of times it flooded the foundation of the house, which was a pier and beam with no crawlspace. The water came within a couple of inches of flooding through the floorboards one time. We ran a dehumidifier to prevent damp, but you'd be able to smell it for a couple of days before the dehumidifier could remove all of the excess humidity.

The last time the patio flooded, it was so bad that it was about to bridge the house's damp course. I was about to sell the property (as in CLOSE on the sale in a few days) and "damp" is a four-letter word in England that strikes terror in the heart of anyone involved in a real estate transaction. It's like the equivalent of a cracked, leaking slab here. It will torpedo the deal. The smell is umistakeable. If someone lives in a house with a damp problem, you can smell it on their clothing. Just the thought of it fills people with dread. So when my house's damp course was about to be bridged by the flood, I had to run out and rent a pump that pumped water from the patio through a hose in the house and out into the city's sewer line in the front of the house. I had to run this pump for 24 hours non-stop in order to keep my home from being damaged.

No other house on my street had to do that during that period, and it was 100% due to my property's grading and consequent drainage problems.

So, having been in your shoes before...here's what I recommend. Make DAMN sure you get an inspection. Don't even think about NOT doing it. If I were you, I'd also consult a company that specializes in residential drainage to have a look at the property. They will be able to better determine what any issues may be in the future and what measures, if any, need to be taken to ensure that your yard drains properly (and not into the house).

Good luck...I sympathize, and I hope whatever they tell you is good news.

[coolgato]

No matter how beautiful the house looks, the condition of the foundation can be (should be) a deal breaker if there is the slightest possibility something can go wrong.

A beautiful smile is obvious to everyone, but no one knows about the gums and bone density of the teeth. Someone could have gorgeous teeth but also have periodontal disease that will one day cause the teeth to shift and fall out. The gums are the foundation for a healthy mouth. Same thing with a house - it can be great and lovely, but if the foundation is weak or its integrity in doubt, its future is clouded. You should have specialists look at that foundation twice and if there are problems are you willing to spend the money that it will cost to fix it? If not, pass on it.

[kyhm]

Thank you very much for your great answers!
They really helped a lot.

Yes, I plan to have the home inspected.
I will also ask if there will not be any problems caused by the sloped yard for the next 10 or 15 years or something.
If the inspector says it's okay, then is it okay?
(Or, if he says that I need to do this and that to prevent any problem, then if I do those, then is it okay?)
This is my first home buy, so I don't know if the problems that will be caused by sloped yard are easy to predict even for a professional inspector.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by coolgato

No matter how beautiful the house looks, the condition of the foundation can be (should be) a deal breaker if there is the slightest possibility something can go wrong.

That's overstating it a little bit. You can't predict the future, and a lot of factors (one of the biggest being maintenance) can affect the longevity and integrity of a foundation. Something can ALWAYS go wrong. That goes for everything. By that logic you shouldn't even leave your house. Or maybe you should, since the roof could collapse.

Originally Posted by kyhm

Thank you very much for your great answers!
They really helped a lot.

Yes, I plan to have the home inspected.
I will also ask if there will not be any problems caused by the sloped yard for the next 10 or 15 years or something.
If the inspector says it's okay, then is it okay?
(Or, if he says that I need to do this and that to prevent any problem, then if I do those, then is it okay?)
This is my first home buy, so I don't know if the problems that will be caused by sloped yard are easy to predict even for a professional inspector.

The inspector isn't really qualified to tell you that. They're not engineers. Foundation inspectors are specially trained. They're not always experts in drainage, though. You need a different kind of professional for that.

If you're that worried, the extra money is worth the peace of mind IMHO.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

That's overstating it a little bit. You can't predict the future, and a lot of factors (one of the biggest being maintenance) can affect the longevity and integrity of a foundation. Something can ALWAYS go wrong. That goes for everything. By that logic you shouldn't even leave your house. Or maybe you should, since the roof could collapse.



The inspector isn't really qualified to tell you that. They're not engineers. Foundation inspectors are specially trained. They're not always experts in drainage, though. You need a different kind of professional for that.

If you're that worried, the extra money is worth the peace of mind IMHO.

Actually a good Inspector is qualified to tell the OP about a lot of things regarding his home and this is one of those things a good Inspector can tell the OP. It is quite a bit of overkill to call in an Engineer for something as simple as this!

[kyhm]

Thank you all for your great opinions.
Now the home is available from Zillow.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/14.../53107544_zpid

It's a home in Suncreek, and I love everything else, but the sloped yard is the only problem that makes me hesitate.
I know it'd be hard to say from the pictures, but can I ask your opinions again?