Consumption and Real Estate
If a house had a structural engineer put a beam on the corner of a house, would you still buy it?
Question : If a house had a structural engineer put a beam on the corner of a house, would you still buy it?
My husband and I went to go look at a house today. We loved every bit of it. When we got outside, the realtor said because it had rained for quite sometime and the ground had been so wet for so long, that the corner of the outside of the house began to drop down. She said however, that a structural engineer had put a beam up in the corner to prevent it from happening. She made it seem like it was common. She said that the structural engineer had a 1 year warranty that would transfer to us.I live in alabama, so it does rain a lot. We do plan on getting a home inspector to check everything out before we buy the house. My questions are: Is the realtor telling the truth-that it isn’t a biggie? Would you steer clear of the house? What exactly caused it to happen? Thanks
ok, the couple that is selling the house looks to be in their late 60′s. The house has been on the market for 4 months. the realtor said she tried to tell them it would take a while to sell because it becomes very slow that time of year and last year when they put it on the market- the economy was bad-and still is. The couple is moving to another house further back in the same subdivision that is newer.
why is the house doing that? Also, it is not on a hill.
Also, I know the realtor would tellus it was ok. It is like the man asking the barber if he needs a haircut. Of course he needs a haircut!!! I know the realtor wants to make $ . She was trying to get us to put a bid on the house today. Like we were stupid enough to not know that you never buy a house until you have it inspected!!! That kind of scares me!!! Then I am thinking maybeshe made up the bit about the house not selling because of the time of year, but in actuality, maybe they have had people come look and they don’t want it because the corner of the house is sinking!!!!
alabama home warranty
Best answer:
Answer by sweetpea
Call the town or county where the permits were issued for the beam to be installed. Ask the Construction Official why the beam was required. If there was no permit issued or even required, run the other way. Find another house.
-
-
#3 written by Electrical Inspector 1 year ago
It is not at all unusual to have parts of a house design investigated by a S.E.; one of the reasons is that the foundation IS NOT all sitting on the same ground. The soils conditions can vary from one point on the lot to another. Most Inspectors will require that a Structural Engineer, a Professional Engineer, or a Soils Engineer check the soil before the footings are placed if they see any variation in the appearance of the soil when doing the pre-pour inspection. This requirement is in order with the Foundations Chapter (4) of the International Residential Code. There may be a valid reason for this beam to be placed there, ask to see the site notes of the engineer from his initial investigation. If he is not willing to share them, that would be reason enough to think twice about this purchase.
If this beam was added to correct a situation that was missed during the design portion of the construction, I would wonder what else might have been overlooked. A one year warranty by the engineer is kind of short, but that also depends upon State laws and local custom.
There are systems available to compensate for the sinking of one part of the foundation, but they are expensive. Generally, it requires more than a beam, as that just transfers the weight of the structure to a different part of the footing. Piles or caissons placed at the troubled areas are a more permanent solution, and more reliable.
Using a beam is generally the best repair for a floor area that is deflecting too much because the joists were installed over too long of a span, or the floor area was overloaded by some type of modification after the original construction was completed.
I personally do not think any home inspector I’ve ever met is worth half a pound of fertilizer, but banks often insist on having one look at the house before granting a mortgage.
I think your realtor may be dancing around the real issue. Ask her to put her commission into an escrow account, one you can use for any repairs that may be required in this part of the house for the next 3 years. You know she wouldn’t do that; yet she is asking you to take an even bigger gamble. Don’t buy the house, and find a new realtor.
-
#4 written by life_loverfl 1 year ago
I would suggest you look at another home. The house isn’t on a hill but the ground stayed wet for an inordinately long period of time causing the house to sink. That implies to me that there isn’t proper drainage in the area ore there was a major water line break that went undetected for a long period of time. It is not “normal” for a home owner to have that kind of structural work done to a house. A one year warranty is also suspect. That scope of work commands nothing less than a ten year warranty as far as I’m concerned. And in ten years who is going to be around that you can go after. The attorney fees alone will be astronomical. Once again, look for another home.
-
#5 written by Ron G 1 year ago
Hi. If you really like the house get several more opinions from two more professional engineers. Have them look over the structural drawings and really delve into the why and repair. It is a buyers market, ask the sellers to pay for this. If the first engineer did a good job, and the other engineers agree with it, make an offer based on the value with a discount built in for the repair. If you buy the house, keep all the engineering, and any related papers. If there should be further settlement in the future, figure in a fair price to have the work done and discount this from your offer also. Alot of discounting, but what have you got to lose?
-
#7 written by alanfp 1 year ago
Hi
Ask to see the design drawings , the completion certificate for the work, the qualifications of whoever did the work (both the design and the actual physical work).
If all those exist, get them checked out by someone knowledgeable (I don’t mean necessarily get the design itself checked, but make sure the designer is reputable).
If any of them can’t be found, walk away.
If they all look in order, talk to insurance companies and check to see if they will cover you without any special conditions. Getting insurance cover could be your biggest problem.Is the vendor moving for a genuine reason – it sounds as though they have only had the work done recently??? they may be moving because they’ve had enough worry about their house potentially subsiding, and just want to get out.
If you still like the house, it’s probably worth 10- 15% less than a house that hasn’t suffered subsidence (going by the situation in the UK)
A one year guarantee is worth nothing – I assume you’d like the house to stay upright for more than a year!
PS So the realtor says its OK? …. in the words of a witness in a famous court case in London in the 1960′s “well he would say that, wouldn’t he”.
-
#8 written by Nunaya Bidnit 1 year ago
- Comment Feed for this Post
A correctly installed footing and foundation should not be affected by excessive rain. To be respectful of engineers, they are qualified to determine load ratings,etc., but not the right person to actually install this reinforcing beam -especially if they are the homeowner.
Make an offer on the home with a contingency clause that states the seller will pay for or reduce the selling price based on the findings and recommendations of a professional home inspection.
You should choose the home inspector and i would choose one that is not from the area the home is located in.
Most anything can be repaired, however there is a cost involved. Even if the seller gives you a one year warranty, that is not what you want. You want it inspected and a un-biased opinion given on the situation.
Another option is to have a good reputable General Contractor look at the problem area. Tell them you will compensate him/her for their time as non of us like to spend an hour or two looking at a job we might not even do for free. This General Contractor can then give you a opinion on what needs done and how much it will cost.