It is not uncommon to see homes on the coast, such as the ones in Virginia Beach, with foundational issues. Flat land, possible flooding, and heavy rains can cause foundation problems.
While anticipated, these foundation issues can make selling your home a bit more difficult. Home buyers, especially those from out of town and not coastal areas, may be more hesitant to purchase a home with these issues. If you’re worried about your home’s foundation, we’ve put together a guide on how to navigate these particular problems and how to approach selling your home.
How Do I Spot Issues?
Two different types of foundational issues can occur in your home, exterior issues and interior issues. Here’s how to look out for each:
Exterior Issues
Exterior issues with the foundation are often spotted with a walk around your home. The more apparent signs are:
- Gaps between your garage and driveway
- Gaps between your house and trim
- Large cracks on the bottom of walls
However, not all structural problems are as obvious as cracks and gaps. If your home seems to be sinking into the ground or you see that walls are sitting at a different angle than they usually would, those can be significant signs that your home’s foundation has been weakened or damaged. If you spot these, your house has begun to shift.
Walls that curve inwards or bulge outwards, leaning chimneys, and porches and decks that are separating from your house are also things to look out for when on the hunt for signs of foundational issues.
Interior Issues
Interior issues are often easier to notice in your home because you see more of the inside of your home than the outside. Cracks in the walls of your home are typically noticed quicker than those outside. But make sure you are looking at the right types of cracks as signs of foundational damage. You should be looking for large cracks in your walls, either horizontal or vertical, or diagonal cracks that originate from the corner of a door or window.
As you walk through your home, you should also be wary of foundational damage if your floors are bulging, sloping, or sagging or if you notice gaps where the floor and wall meet.
While those signs can be a bit more obvious, many signs of interior damage are far more subtle. Cabinet doors that don’t stay shut or doors and windows that don’t open and close properly are less noticeable signs of damage that can easily be written off as issues with the items themselves.
Should I Repair My Home?
Deciding whether or not to repair your home is a costly one. The average cost of a foundation repair is around $5,400. Smaller issues can be patched over for a few hundred dollars, but major issues can cost thousands.
Deciding to repair your home before selling likely won’t increase your property value. Since it is not an upgrade or addition, it’s simply maintenance. It won’t be seen as a major plus but rather the standard. This maintenance does prevent possible value decreases. If a potential buyer wants to purchase the home and asks for an inspector to come through and foundation issues are spotted, they may ask for the price to be reduced significantly. Foundation issues can reduce sale prices by 10-15%, which is quite a lot of money out of your pocket.
How Do I Sell Without Repairs?
Selling your home that has known foundational issues can be complicated, but the easiest way to handle the situation is to list your house in “as-is” condition. Virginia is a “buyer beware” state, meaning it’s on the purchaser to spot any issues.
To simplify it, you can sell to a company that buys houses in Virginia Beach. You may think you’ll lose money if you sell to a company, but the reality is that this option allows you to quickly sell your home without having to pay for foundation repairs or real estate agents. Virginia Beach as-is home buyers will have experience in these types of purchases and will give you a fair price for your property, foundation damage and all.