Trying to make the decision if you should sell your home versus foundation repair can be quite a decision. If you decide to sell your home with a faulty foundation you have four options:
Option 1: Do nothing and list as-is for a lesser amount.
Option 2: Complete the repair before putting it on the market.
Option 3: Offer credit to buyers to be used towards repairs after closing.
Option 4: Negotiate repair terms once an interested buyer has had an inspection.
However, if you should decide you want to keep your home and do the foundation repair. Then you need to review what is causing the problem. Below is a short list of typical foundation repairs:
SINKING
Excess water around a home’s foundation from rain or flooding can saturate the soil, causing it to sink. That effect will vary at different places around the foundation, causing not only sinking but uneven sinking, including breaking up the foundation.
SETTLING
Drought can have just as big an impact on the foundation. The soil will dry up and shrink. This causes the foundation to settle into a reduced level of the soil. And of course, that settlement will be uneven across the foundation, causing cracks and breaks.
TREE AND SHRUB ROOTS
When planted close to the home’s foundation, roots can cause significant damage. In dry conditions, they pull out moisture, causing the soil to settle. In wet conditions, the cracks created can lead to excess moisture and even flooding in basements or crawl spaces.
FROST HEAVE
In typical Saskatoon freezing conditions, the top layer of soil freezes quickly, followed by the lower levels. Unfortunately, that top frozen layer doesn’t allow the lower levels to expand as they freeze. This, in turn, pushes the top layer upward and puts pressure on the home’s foundation. Cracks and bulges are the inevitable consequences.
POOR WORKMANSHIP
A home’s foundation could also suffer from poor workmanship in the original construction. For example, the concrete mix could have too much water, leaving weak cement. It could also be improperly levelled, leading to big problems over time.
At the end of the day, deciding to sell your home vs foundation repair work depends on what you want to live with. When trying to make that decision, we recommend you
call Steve immediately and ask him to provide you
with your options and costs.