Should we buy this house? Foundation issue on slab

March 21, 2018 11:05 AM

Buying an old house from the 50's. There's foundation issues. Is this just going to be how it is with old homes?

House is slab on grade. There was foundation work done in 2012, and inspector found numerous cracks all around the house. We are having a foundation inspection tomorrow, but wanted to get some third party opinions on how common this issue is.

We are also expecting plumbing issues as it's a house from 1956 w cast iron pipes. We will be getting a hydrostatic test on Friday if we decide to move forward after the foundation inspection.

How do people feel about foundation issues with slab houses? Terrible idea? Par for the course? We're first time buyers, and the inspector not feeling good about this house is making me not feel good about it.

posted by monologish to Home & Garden (22 answers total)

Where are you? That's important. If there's newer housing stock around, this sounds like something to avoid. If everything is this old, the trick might be to find something that has already been repaired or had the foundation re-done.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 11:12 AM on March 21, 2018 [3 favorites]

In my experience, home inspectors work for the realtors who refer them, as they both benefit from the sale going through - the realtor from their commission and the inspector from repeat referrals. If I had an inspector warning me away from a house, I would take him at his word and then some.

My 1948 house has no foundation issues and I would never buy a house with foundation issues.
posted by headnsouth at 11:15 AM on March 21, 2018 [15 favorites]

We bought a house built in the seventies with cracks in the foundation. It was noted by the inspector so I would disagree with the answer above - yes the inspector works for the agent but they simply have to note something that's as visually obvious as cracks in the foundation. We then had a structural engineer that we paid for come out to evaluate and his official opinion was that it was the expected result of "settling". In retrospect I consider those cracks a plus because the previous buyers backed out because of them, so we were able to negotiate a significant discount. If I were you and I had a foundation inspection scheduled tomorrow, I would trust the professionals and not worry too much, if they say it's normal.
posted by rada at 11:22 AM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Austin, TX! We also used an inspector that a friend recommended so no connection there.
posted by monologish at 11:23 AM on March 21, 2018

Agreed that if the house inspector is recommending you avoid it, listen. Presumably they are familiar with typical stock in the area and know what to avoid. As first time home buyers, this plus the potential plumbing issues sound like a lot to deal with.
posted by Juniper Toast at 11:26 AM on March 21, 2018 [10 favorites]

We're first time buyers, and the inspector not feeling good about this house is making me not feel good about it.

Do you want to take on home repairs money/time wise? Do you have room in your budget going forward to deal with stuff? Are you "handy" and/or have contractor-type friends/family?

Waiting for the foundation report wouldn't be terrible just in case it really is cosmetic and the 2012 repair was great. BUT - if you're people who want to do things other than house repair for the next few years, you may want to just find something else.

Source: My husband and I ignored our friend of the family's "why would you buy THIS house" inspection question and spent 7 years learning about a) all kinds of groovy house things like...grading, french drains, mouldy drywall removal, etc. and b) getting REALLY GOOD at rice and beans to pay for all sorts of non-picturesque things like plumbing. He's the son of a builder and we actually were okay putting all our leisure and vacation time into breaking concrete etc. but we didn't travel much, we had ratty old furniture, etc. etc. because we were paying for...pipes, tile, not to make things fancy but because we had to open a wall, etc.
posted by warriorqueen at 11:30 AM on March 21, 2018 [6 favorites]

Also just a note about what I wish I would have known - if you have plumbing issues inside the house, the plumbers come and cut a hole in the wall and fix the pipes. And then you have to hire or repair the walls yourself, repaint, retile, etc. You may be fine with this! We were but it still made repairs and that I initially thought would be a kind of one-time-hire solution more extensive.

Apologies if this is basic info to you but it wasn't to me!
posted by warriorqueen at 11:37 AM on March 21, 2018 [2 favorites]

Structural engineer here. There isn't enough info in your question to provide a meaningful answer. From your description, the cracking may be expected/within design tolerances, or it may be problematic. If I were engaged to give advice, I'd be interested in the type of foundation (from your description it sounds like it's a mat raft slab-on grade, unclear if there are any stem walls, footings or retaining walls in the foundations), size of cracks (width and length), location of the cracks, and as complete a description of the 2012 foundation work as possible. If there is a geotechnical report of any sort/scope, that would be very helpful (though not necessary).
posted by hootenatty at 11:40 AM on March 21, 2018 [4 favorites]

Will the seller adjust the price or put money in escrow for repairs once you have a better inspection and could estimate cost for remediation? Maybe too soon to tell now, but a question to consider.
Once the exact issue is known and they have to disclose it, they might have a harder time selling, you can use that as leverage in negotiating.
posted by PaulaSchultz at 11:43 AM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: A little more info: there's cracks on all sides of foundation, all sides of exterior wall, and some interior walls and ceiling. They weren't large enough that we noticed during initial walkthrough, but definitely clear cracks.
posted by monologish at 11:48 AM on March 21, 2018

Just my layperson’s opinion, but all those cracks all over the house sound like structural problems. Plus, it would seem to me that you could deal with water issues, too, if any these cracks let water in during rain. I would run away unless you have the money, time and patience to deal with the potential issues.
posted by hazel79 at 11:57 AM on March 21, 2018

There are very few things that would make me decide not to buy a house. A foundation issue is one of them. Don't buy that house.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 11:59 AM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

In Houston, every house has foundation issues. We bought a house a couple of decades ago and required the seller to pay for fixing the foundation as part of the deal; they also replaced the roof. The foundation repair people have a lifetime warranty and come back and do adjustments as needed. The only problem is that they have to either take up the floor to access the piers they installed, or dig tunnels to do so. The former is too much trouble for us while we're living here; the latter is expensive to have them do, and a lot of work to do ourselves instead.

Not all foundations are reasonably fixable. I wouldn't do this if the local experts don't think you should.
posted by artistic verisimilitude at 12:11 PM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

> If I had an inspector warning me away from a house, I would take him at his word and then some.

Seconded. When I was looking at a house here in New Orleans the inspector finished up and we sat down to review. He said, and this is pretty close to verbatim, "As a licensed home inspector in the state of Louisiana I am forbidden from making statements of opinion such as "you should not buy this house".

[long, pregnant pause.]

Let's go over what we found today."

I did not buy that house. If I were you, I would not buy this house either.
posted by komara at 12:13 PM on March 21, 2018 [19 favorites]

I bought a house in Houston 25 years ago that needed comprehensive foundation work. The seller paid the $10,000 that the job cost. The repairs came with a life-time warranty, which I called in three times. Then the repair company found a way to void the warranty.

Even so, I have enjoyed living in this older home, with the knowledge that I will have future issues. The overall cost of the home was significantly lower that comparables in this neighborhood. Any future buyer will tear it down and build fresh.

Are you will to do the repairs and maintenance that the shifting foundation will cause? Are you getting a good price? Will a lender want to take a chance on this house? Will the repair company stand by their warranty?

Most of the homes in the area of this age will probably also have similar issues.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 12:13 PM on March 21, 2018 [3 favorites]

My house was built in 1915, so to me a 50s house is not old. We have no foundation issues. Where I live, most houses are at least 100 years old, if not much older, and I don't recall very many of the dozens we looked at having obvious cracks like you describe....so no, I don't think old=foundation problems. Of course, things are different weather-wise up here in New England, but between what you describe AND the inspector "not feeling good about it" I would not buy it.
posted by john_snow at 12:17 PM on March 21, 2018 [2 favorites]

Where I live, foundation issues and cracking are extremely common because of the Leda clay bed Ottawa is built on. All old houses here have cracks, any house over 10 years old often does, and even new houses can have them. We passed up a couple houses because of foundation issues -- either the home inspector told us to pass on it, or it was really obvious from casual inspection. The house we bought is from the 50's and has foundation cracks, but in this case the home inspector pointed them out and said not to worry about them. He was right, they have never been a problem in the 10 years we have lived here. Whether or not cracks are common or expected or a problem really depends on a lot of factors, including the soil conditions where the house is built.
posted by fimbulvetr at 1:16 PM on March 21, 2018

Austin? Yes, every house either has or will have foundation issues. If you're buying, better to buy a house that's already been fixed, and recently. Have more than one inspector, including having out someone who is a foundation repair person with a good reputation. Seriously, though, you will never find a house here, either slab or pier-and-beam, without a foundation issue or a future foundation issue. It's just part of living here.
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:31 PM on March 21, 2018

Foundation issues are very common in Austin, but that doesn’t mean they’re unavoidable. I would be concerned about the quality of the work done in 2012. Slab repair is usually not cheap, and under-slab plumbing repair is even worse.
posted by bradf at 1:32 PM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

It's the plumbing that would worry me more than minor settling that is normal for the area. That said, the appearance of further cracks after the foundation was fixed 6 years ago would definitely make me want to get an engineer's opinion. Yes, in this case there having been previous work done concerns me more than the cracks.

Also, knowing the number, precise location, size, the orientation of the cracks, and how the frame is constructed are all necessary to say anything beyond have a structural engineer inspect it if you or your regular inspector aren't sure how much to worry.
posted by wierdo at 3:42 PM on March 21, 2018

So, what is it about Austin that makes foundation issues so common there?
posted by Rash at 9:01 PM on March 21, 2018

So, what is it about Austin that makes foundation issues so common there?

From what I understand, the most common issues are due to the combination of very expansive soil (clay) and extreme seasonal moisture changes.
posted by bradf at 10:27 PM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]