Is the foundation damage concerning?

[nsantore]

I'm located in CT, and looking to put an offer in on a property that has some foundation damage. Are these foundation issues cause for big concern?

-There is a cold joint line around the foundation, and the line is rough in a few places.
-There is some corner chipping on 2 corners.
-There is a damaged area by the oil tank fill tube that looks to have been previously repaired.
-There is some degradation along an area where mulch is up against the foundation and the concrete is chipping.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[bud16415]

I am not a foundation expert, just a log time older house homeowner.


I don’t see any problems there that would hold me back from buying the house. Looks to mostly be cosmetic and some of it just in the stucco finish. Some pros will be along shortly.



Welcome to the forum.

 

[nsantore]

I am not a foundation expert, just a log time older house homeowner.


I don’t see any problems there that would hold me back from buying the house. Looks to mostly be cosmetic and some of it just in the stucco finish. Some pros will be along shortly.



Welcome to the forum.

Thanks so much for the welcome and the quick info. That’s reassuring to hear. In CT there is a history of problem concrete, so it helps to have some input from people with experience.

 

[bud16415]

Thanks so much for the welcome and the quick info. That’s reassuring to hear. In CT there is a history of problem concrete, so it helps to have some input from people with experience.

YW. When you look around in the basement is there any sign of leaking, shifting, sagging, recent repairs, etc? From your outside photos it looks to me like nothing has been covered up or recently patched trying to hide any problems. Older houses show signs of age. How old is the place.


Sometimes knowing the general history of who the past owners were and such help with understanding the reason for some conditions. I agree foundations are a point that is very important and it is smart to put thought into it.


My biggest worry when buying a home are places that are being flipped. Everything went into making them look great and cover over any problems. The last house we bought about 6 years ago was a highly distressed short sale that was in deplorable condition. The list of repairs was easy because instead of listing what needed done I listed what was good. It was a short list. Even though the house was 150 years old the foundation was on my good list.


I like to place value on a house I’m looking at and then work backwards. Say ok if this house was perfect it would be worth in this town and this neighborhood say $100k if perfect. Then start subtracting things I find that are not perfect like the roof needs replaced in the next 5 years and a roof is good for 20 years so subtract 75% of the new roof cost. If this foundation you are looking at is just cosmetic then subtract a little for what it will take to make it perfect. Some people try and do this from the listed price and that isn’t always fair to the seller as they may have some reductions already placed in there. In the end you may not ever do some of the work but you want to know you got a solid home at a fair price with no surprises.


Also was there any home inspection done and if so what did it say?

 

[nealtw]

when you put the concrete in the forms you do it in lifts of 3 or 4 feet at a time, when the next layer was added they did not vibrate this enough.
When it is below ground level it requires more attention with the damp proofing. Unless you are seeing structural issues, I would not be concerned.