When to Walk Away From Foundation Issues: A Practical Guide for Buyers
If you’re looking at a house with foundation issues , the question isn’t whether there’s a problem or not. It’s whether fixing it is worth it, especially if you’re seriously considering buying the home. Whether it’s a five-bedroom home in Houston or a small house in Cincinnati , foundation repairs are expensive, disruptive, and hard to predict. But ignoring them simply isn’t an option. So, how do you decide when to walk away from foundation issues? You follow the steps below. 1. Get a full diagnosis before you buy Don’t guess, and don’t take the seller’s word for it. Before you go under contract—or during your due diligence period—bring in a licensed structural engineer, not just a general home inspector or your handy friend. The structural engineer will evaluate what’s going on structurally, how bad it is, and what will be needed to stabilize the foundation. Once you have a report in hand, get a quote from a reputable foundation repair company. They can tell you what the repai...