Buying house, how serious is soil movement issue that's been repaired?
March 21, 2016 7:42 PM Subscribe
Found a house I liked and seller accepted my offer however I just read sellers disclosure and seller indicated yes to the question "are you aware of past or present settling, soil movement or sinkhole problems on property?" And elaborated that "corner of garage wall was cracked due to mock pocket and was repaired in 1995".
They claim no issues since then. I saw multiple cracks in the driveway and backyard brick patio as well but not sure if this has anything to do with past or present soil movement issue. Bc it was so long ago sellers don't have any paperwork or documents about the issue or repair made.
How concerned should I be about this disclosure and should I proceed? Of course I would still do my due diligence and hire a house inspector but I just want to get input on how serious this issue is and whether it's worth it to proceed before I spend hundreds of dollars on a house inspector. Thanks.
They claim no issues since then. I saw multiple cracks in the driveway and backyard brick patio as well but not sure if this has anything to do with past or present soil movement issue. Bc it was so long ago sellers don't have any paperwork or documents about the issue or repair made.
How concerned should I be about this disclosure and should I proceed? Of course I would still do my due diligence and hire a house inspector but I just want to get input on how serious this issue is and whether it's worth it to proceed before I spend hundreds of dollars on a house inspector. Thanks.
Response by poster: Sorry it was supposed to be "muck pocket" as in muck soil.
posted by CheeseAndRice at 8:00 PM on March 21, 2016
posted by CheeseAndRice at 8:00 PM on March 21, 2016
Can you say where generally the house is located? In some places settling is pretty minor and routine and in others it's like you might get eaten by a sinkhole, so answers probably vary by location.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:18 PM on March 21, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:18 PM on March 21, 2016 [2 favorites]
My only advice is when you hire your home inspector dont use ones recommended by the real estate agent. They are often in the pocket of the realtor and going after them is a big hassle. Find an independent picky home inspector.
posted by RelaxingOne at 9:54 PM on March 21, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by RelaxingOne at 9:54 PM on March 21, 2016 [6 favorites]
Best answer: If this is important, you should hire a soil engineer to a separate, specialized inspection of the property. A home inspector will notice signs of damage to the house, a soil engineer can tell you what the risk is based on the nature of the geology of the property.
posted by metahawk at 10:35 PM on March 21, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by metahawk at 10:35 PM on March 21, 2016 [4 favorites]
The answer to your question will come from a soils engineer. How concerned about this you should be will be based on their analysis.
posted by humboldt32 at 3:21 AM on March 22, 2016
posted by humboldt32 at 3:21 AM on March 22, 2016
You're in Florida? Beware of sinkholes. Get an engineer to check this.
posted by mareli at 5:43 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by mareli at 5:43 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
You want a structural engineer to inspect this. Not just a house inspector.
While you're at it, get the inspection where they put the camera down the sewer lines. Trust me on this one.
If you're in Florida...no. Just no.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:49 AM on March 22, 2016
While you're at it, get the inspection where they put the camera down the sewer lines. Trust me on this one.
If you're in Florida...no. Just no.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:49 AM on March 22, 2016
Response by poster: Yes I'm in Florida...should I just pass on this house then? I'm really scared of what can go wrong with land type issues. I really like the house and good houses are hard to come by in this low inventory market but don't want a headache on my hands. I guess the only way to know is to hire a house inspector, structural engineer, soil inspector and get my sewer lines looked at but in the end that's going to run me probably 2k or more of inspection fees which is a gamble if this house turns out to have major issues that puts it at risk for sinkholes and I'd have to walk anyways. Urgh tough decision.
posted by CheeseAndRice at 5:58 AM on March 22, 2016
posted by CheeseAndRice at 5:58 AM on March 22, 2016
Don't let the cost dissuade you. I know, that's easy for me to say, but please balance the inspection costs against two other things: the total cost of the house, and peace of mind.
...and it's the latter that you're really going to appreciate, when you have it.
posted by aramaic at 6:07 AM on March 22, 2016
...and it's the latter that you're really going to appreciate, when you have it.
posted by aramaic at 6:07 AM on March 22, 2016
Another term for soils engineer is geotechnical engineer. I would be concerned and get it looked at by an engineer. Or pass.
posted by sepviva at 6:18 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by sepviva at 6:18 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
going to run me probably 2k or more of inspection fees
You don't have to run them all at once, though. Start with the one it's most likely to disqualify the property from your point of view (soils testing, it sounds like). If it fails that one, you're done. If it passes, move on to the next most likely to fail, and so on.
That way if the testing takes this piece of property off your 'buy list' it's most likely to happen within the first or second inspections, which will be (presumably) quite a lot less than $2000 and money very well spent in that case
posted by flug at 8:20 AM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
You don't have to run them all at once, though. Start with the one it's most likely to disqualify the property from your point of view (soils testing, it sounds like). If it fails that one, you're done. If it passes, move on to the next most likely to fail, and so on.
That way if the testing takes this piece of property off your 'buy list' it's most likely to happen within the first or second inspections, which will be (presumably) quite a lot less than $2000 and money very well spent in that case
posted by flug at 8:20 AM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
Exactly. You do those inspections in the order of severity. If the soils report comes back poorly, the condition of your sewer lines is a moot point.
First things first, for now, you remove "I really love this house" from the equation. Now that you've established that, the only thing that will change that is something like, say, a geotechnical report that says the house you love is about to fall into a big hole in the ground.
posted by humboldt32 at 3:23 PM on March 22, 2016
First things first, for now, you remove "I really love this house" from the equation. Now that you've established that, the only thing that will change that is something like, say, a geotechnical report that says the house you love is about to fall into a big hole in the ground.
posted by humboldt32 at 3:23 PM on March 22, 2016
We certainly can't tell you from here whether or not you should pass on the house! That's why people are recommending that you bring in an expert for a real assessment. There's really no other way to know.
The cracking in the driveway and patio don't mean much, by the way. Those are thin, flat, rigid things that sit right on the surface and they pretty much always crack over time. Their construction isn't particularly similar to that of a house. Cracks there might mean that the driveway and patio need replacing, but that's hardly critical in the way that foundation cracking is.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 3:47 PM on March 22, 2016
The cracking in the driveway and patio don't mean much, by the way. Those are thin, flat, rigid things that sit right on the surface and they pretty much always crack over time. Their construction isn't particularly similar to that of a house. Cracks there might mean that the driveway and patio need replacing, but that's hardly critical in the way that foundation cracking is.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 3:47 PM on March 22, 2016
Response by poster: I'm going to pass on the house. Got quotes for soil testing that cost $1500 which is too much money for me to pay upfront and that doesn't even include house inspection which costs another $550. I also read about a sink hole that wrecked the neighborhood school there in the past which was sufficient enough to scare me away. Thanks everyone for your advice. It's a shame bc I really like the house but just didn't feel comfortable with it.
posted by CheeseAndRice at 6:32 PM on March 22, 2016
posted by CheeseAndRice at 6:32 PM on March 22, 2016
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