3 Reasons to Get a Foundation Inspection Before You Buy an Old House
The housing market in the DFW area is always changing. Sometimes the property values are skyrocketing, and you might want to move to sell your home at a hefty profit. Sometimes you might find a home closer to work at the perfect price point. But in Texas, the foundations can shift just as much as the house prices. This is an even bigger concern the older the home is. Here are three reasons to make passing a foundation inspection a requirement before you sign the paperwork on your next house:
1. Surface-level renovations can mask the problem.
When an older home goes on the market, it probably had a few cosmetic touches done first. This can include everything from new, thick carpet (which can mask a tilted floor) to stone facades around the visible foundation. These finishes might not even be purposefully hiding a foundation problem. New wallpaper hides developing cracks and new landscaping obscures a casual view of the foundation. So don’t just trust a quick glance. Get a professional inspection.
2. The marble test doesn’t reveal everything.
One of the most common tips potential homeowners hear for checking a house’s foundation is the marble test. In this DIY inspection, you set a marble in each corner of a room and you see if and how far it rolls. A rolling marble means a tilted floor, and that means there’s a problem. But sometimes foundations have lateral shifts, and sometimes the problem hasn’t fully developed. Foundation inspectors have more precise measuring tools, and they know what other signs of stress to look for.
3. Additions can cause you foundation headaches.
Older homes tend to be smaller. That increases the odds that a previous owner had an addition constructed. High-quality slabs can be joined onto the original without causing problems, but there’s no way to know if that previous owner valued structural integrity or their budget more. Have a professional take a look so you don’t have to pay for piers down the road.
Go to Dodson Foundation Repair so a professional can help ensure your next home isn’t a bad investment.