House normal settlement or potential foundation issue?? (inspector, company)

[Aliana926]

When I tried to sell my first house, I had a hairline crack on the brick on one side of the house. I hired a structural engineer, I think it was about $600 to evaluate the house (this was back in 2008). Per the report, it was just normal settling due to normal expansion of the soil (mostly clay). This report put the buyers at ease and they bought the house.

[allen3iverson]

Originally Posted by Aliana926

When I tried to sell my first house, I had a hairline crack on the brick on one side of the house. I hired a structural engineer, I think it was about $600 to evaluate the house (this was back in 2008). Per the report, it was just normal settling due to normal expansion of the soil (mostly clay). This report put the buyers at ease and they bought the house.

Hi, does your wall crack shows stair step like pattern? or just simple straight cracks.

[aero100]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

Buyer does it as part of the normal survey/inspection, as part of the survey cost. As far as the seller is concerned, there's nothing wrong with the foundation so why should they check it ?

Because depending on market inventory some buyers may decide to simply move on to the next house instead of footing the bill for the inspection if something looks questionable. Buyers have different levels of experience too - someone that knows houses may look at the cracks and know they are superficial but someone else may think "cracks...that foundation is clearly gone, let's just put in the offer on the one down the street" even if everything is fine.

It's just a pre-emptive investment some sellers do to address things that are obvious to a buyer when the house is shown.

[TXbywayof]

Are there large trees, especially oaks, on the lot or next door?

[crone]

Had a house that had mortar cracks like that. The house was large and when built included piers.

Mr. Brick came out every 2-4 years to tuck point.

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

Buyer does it as part of the normal survey/inspection, as part of the survey cost. As far as the seller is concerned, there's nothing wrong with the foundation so why should they check it ?

I don't think this is normal for the buyer to paid for, especially in current market conditions. You asking a prospective buyer to paid for foundation check, which is pretty much guaranteed to be a problem in this city.

I bought my house and was handed the structural inspection before I sign the contract. I know other people that bought older homes receive the same thing.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by ipuck

I don't think this is normal for the buyer to paid for, especially in current market conditions. You asking a prospective buyer to paid for foundation check, which is pretty much guaranteed to be a problem in this city.

I bought my house and was handed the structural inspection before I sign the contract. I know other people that bought older homes receive the same thing.

Fair enough, but it seems to be normal in my area for the buyer to pay and is considered part of the overall survey report - or maybe its just the realtors I've dealt with - and because its an older neighborhood (1965) ??

At any rate I paid for it when I bought in 2012 and my buyer paid this last go around two months ago.

If my buyer had insisted we pay for a foundation check I would have told him to take a hike and he would have been SOL cause inventory is low in our neck of the woods. A good house sells within 30 days.

As an fyi our house exhibited normal settling cracks around windows and doors and the foundation check was AOK.

(edit - no mortar cracks though)

[Brit-in-Texas]

Agree with above. If you had a regular buyers home inspection that would tell you whether there was the need for further evaluation by an engineer. Sellers are not required to perform a foundation check in Texas. They are required to provide a completed Seller's Disclosure though. Do the sellers disclosures mention anything about any previous foundation repairs?

[detachable arm]

Unacceptable. Run, don't walk.

[Aliana926]

Originally Posted by allen3iverson

Hi, does your wall crack shows stair step like pattern? or just simple straight cracks.

They were stair steps. They were in the mortar, not the bricks. There was only 1 hairline crack....not at multiple areas.