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michelle28 · 02-15-2008, 01:58 PM

Thanks for all the input! We decided against buying the house due to the problems.

**inspectorD** · 02-15-2008, 03:15 PM

It doesn't look good. Looks like there may have been some water damage ....get away, or get a home inspection.

You will not know the extent of the damage without someone opening it up for further evaluation. If the owners do not agree, you will be wasting your money on an inspection.

mudmixer · 02-15-2008, 03:50 PM

Do not ask a typical home inpector that does pre-purchase inspections.

The distress is so obvious that he will tell you to contact a structural engineer that will require some demolition to find out what is there in order to make a reliable recommendation. You need a real professional opinion because there could be multiple problems.

You have to be in love with the house to spend the money to find out what is really worth and what it might cost to be put in good condition.

glennjanie · 02-15-2008, 03:59 PM

Welcome Michelle:
I agree with InspectorD, you need a complete home inspection. There is a possibility of other damage that is not so appearant.
If we just look at the date of construction; the norm at that time was to build on piers and sills. Your pictures show a sinking pier or a weakening sill which could be jacked up and repaired fairly simply. It also looks like there may be a heat duct running through the room which could affect the plaster some.
The sagging is definately structural damage, please have it checked out.
Glenn

BLZBUB · 02-15-2008, 04:05 PM

99.9% sure that's a structural problem. There's definitely water infiltration to the point it has rotted the framing in the corner. I've seen it before, and it's not easy to fix. 10 to 1 that the roof has shifted one way or the other to follow the sagging framing. By the way, when I reframed the house this happened to, we had to tear off the entire second floor and build from scratch. It was worth it for me because I did the work myself after we bought the house for 55k in Chicago. Still, the remodel cost another 50k. If you're not a professional carpenter, run away.