According to a recent study conducted by Harvard University, 40 million Americans live in a house they cannot afford. The cost of a mortgage, insurance, and taxes are more than they can afford. The decline in homeownership in the United States has declined for the 12th.consecutive year, while rent prices keep outpacing inflation in this country. The upkeep of a house is a direct correlation between what you pay for your house and the amount you need to save for the upkeep of your home. If you pay $300,000 for a home, $3,000 dollars should be used to keep up with the upkeep of your home.
The upkeep of a house is a direct correlation between what you pay for your house and the amount you need to save for the upkeep of your home. If you pay $300,000 for a home, $3,000 dollars should be used to keep up with the maintenance of your home yearly.
The foundation of your home may not be your priority when thinking about the upkeep of your home, but remember the structural integrity of the foundation is one of the most important parts of your home.
Do you need answers? Contact us, we will be happy to offer a solution to you.
Can You Identify These Common House Foundation Issues?
How many times have you heard someone dismiss foundation cracks as simply an old house that’s “settling”? Ignoring foundation problems such as cracks and uneven floors can lead to serious – and expensive – problems down the road.
Homes are built on dirt and, over time, that dirt will shift and settle. Clay, for example, will contract and expand depending on the moisture. Sand will erode after significant rainfall or flooding. Plus, the average home weighs 160 tons so that’s a lot of pressure on the dirt underneath your home, explains Michael Connolly, marketing manager for Lowcountry Basement Systems, which recently moved into the Charleston market.
“Problems don’t get better, they only get worse, and the worse they get the more expensive they will be to fix,” Connolly says.
Foundation Danger: 5 Things Buyers And Sellers Need To Know
The foundation might not be the most exciting part of the house, but it is arguably the most important.
When you’re buying a home, there are plenty of fun things to focus on, like putting in an outdoor fire pit, chilling a bottle in that fancy new wine fridge, or relaxing in a soaker tub, to name a few. But before you start envisioning organizing your clothes in that fabulous walk-in closet, drop your eyes down a bit to focus on the home’s foundation. It holds up the house, after all. If what lies beneath isn’t good, it can cause lots of headaches (and cost you big).
Whether you’re a buyer with concerns about your potential new home’s foundation or a seller who has noticed some cracks, you’ll likely need to take some kind of action to resolve the issue (or at least know what you’re dealing with). Here’s what to do.
Homeowners often wonder how to identify the different signs of foundation problems. It’s definitely a good question to ask. Here’s why – the longer you wait to treat visible signs of damage, the more severe the damage can become. Left untreated, minor cracks and leaks can turn into serious structural issues that compromise the value and overall health of your home.
Your home’s structural integrity depends on the strength of your foundation. It supports everything else – walls, windows, floors, doorways, roof – so when your foundation is damaged, it can cause serious problems throughout your home.
Like most things in life, your foundation is subject to environmental stress. Expanding and contracting soil, excessive moisture and inadequate drainage are some of the most common threats to your home’s foundation. Over time, environmental stress can cause the foundation to shift, crack or settle unevenly. And homeowners can often miss the early warning signs of foundation damage.
