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Buyers Beware- A Small Crack Can Turn Into a Small Fortune in Repairs

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA

I stopped by to discuss progress and repairs with owners of this home yesterday. They bought it approximately 2 years ago. Sellers provided their own "engineers" report stating this small crack should be fixed, but was nothing to worry about. Well, buyers of course did their own home inspection, and that home inspector basically said the same thing. Hopefully they won't use that engineer or home inspector again.

The clues should have been obvious. Rotted support posts for the roof above the porch. Crack was larger at top than is was near the ground. Brick had also shifted out approximately 1/4" on the right side of the crack.

brick wall crack

Just about anyone with common sense could have determined that the footer had cracked and that the right corner had settled. Now many times, small cracks in masonry mean nothing, and are not a concern. But it pays to determine the cause of the crack before coming to any conclusions on severity. So the rot should make you look up and pay closer attention to the gutters. If someone would have put a level on the bottom of the gutter, they could have determined that the gutter was so far out of level, that instead of the water running to the down spout, it was running out towards the right corner of this porch and overflowing. That obviously causes the dirt to become saturated around the footer. Then throw in a little vibration from that earthquake we had a couple years ago, and SNAP! Down goes the footer.

brick wall demo

Notice the 2" gap between the bottom of the concrete porch and top of the cinder block.That's how much the footer and the brick and block wall settled on that corner. Remember that the posts supporting the roof above the porch were sitting on top of the brick wall. So left alone, the roof could eventually settle 2" as well, and pull on the shingles causing a leak in the roof.

On the bright side, these things can be repaired. Support the roof first. Then dig a new footer down and under the existing footer, drill rebar pegs into existing footer, drill rebar into house, pour new footer. This repair will take approximately 500 brick, 1.5 yards of concrete, 5-6 bags of mortar, and 1.3 tons of sand. That should complete the masonry portion, and depending on who you hire, that should cost around $3-$4000.00. ( and that doesn't include the demo- homeowner is doing that). Then, the rotten posts and rails need to be replaced. Then your gutter system needs to be redesigned. Then check the roof to make sure there is no damage to the shingles.

 So don't panic when you see a crack, but do investigate and determine what could have caused that crack. It could save you lots of headaches, and save you several thousand dollars in repairs. In this case, the owners are going to have to spend well over $5000.00 in repairs before we could put this back on the market to sell.

 

Jeff Pearl / Lic in VA

Remax Distinctive - Reston VA

703-727-4876

Homes / Land / Farms / Historic

www.jeffpearlhomes.com

Equal Housing Opportunity Provider

 

 

Comments (27)

Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

#6- Hi Michael, Yes, that is a lot of money, but it could get more expensive if they put it off too long.

#7- Hi Nick and Trudy, I wasn't their agent when they bought, so I guess they chose their inspector then. Although inspector supposedly told them it wasn't anything to worry about. I noticed other things that inspector didn't catch, or buyers just chose to ignore because they wanted the house.

May 22, 2013 05:01 AM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Jeff -- that last comment you made in #8 can be one of those things that comes back to bite buyers when they don't expect it.  For too many buying a house becomes very emotional - and they can then end up paying too much for something they might not have had to pay for at all.

May 22, 2013 05:44 AM
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

#9- Hi Steven, You're correct. I see  buyers accept things that they know they shouldn't because they are afraid of losing out on the house they want. They figure they can fix it later, but don't always realize how expensive things could become when they plan on fixing it later. Thanks.

May 22, 2013 06:04 AM
Rosie Crow
Serving Sugar Land, Richmond, Rosenberg, Missouri City - Sugar Land, TX
Exceeding Expectations. Delivering Results
A lot of the foundation problems we have in Texas are due to the expansive clay soil we have Here. It is common for foundation issues - big or small - to pop up on inspection reports, but I agree, it is important to have this evaluated prior to a home purchase. I recently put together a "foundation 101" packet to educate buyers about foundation problems and repair methods, since homes, regardless of age, are not immune to this problem.
May 22, 2013 06:19 AM
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

#11- Hi Rosie, We have some misc soils here as well, marine clay, shrink and swell, sensitive, etc. You're correct, these foundaions issues can pop up on new home and older homes. Your foundation report is a good idea!

May 22, 2013 06:54 AM
Cindy Jones
Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA
Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

Ouch though home inspectors aren't structural engineers they may have suggested a look by one hired by the buyer's.  

May 22, 2013 08:05 AM
MichelleCherie Carr Crowe .Just Call. 408-252-8900
Get Results Team...Just Call (408) 252-8900! . DRE #00901962 . Licensed to Sell since 1985 . Altas Realty - San Jose, CA
Family Helping Families Buy & Sell Homes 40+ Years

Getting the whole truth on cracks and foundation issues is important for everyone involved.

May 22, 2013 08:19 AM
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

#13- Hi Cindy, true, but you wouldn't need to be a structaul engineer to notice this could be a problem. I think it was patially buyers fault for not checking it out more thoroughly before they bought.

#14- Hi Michelle, Yes, that would have been a big help in this case.

May 22, 2013 09:13 AM
Trisha Bush-LeFore
Preferred Properties Land & Homes - Walla Walla, WA
Providing Realtor Services in the Walla Walla Area

Wow. It definitely would have paid to investigate in this situation. Great post! Very informative.

May 22, 2013 10:56 AM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

I think it is important for any crack to be evaulated.  Some I had presumed (privately) were not a problem were a problem an dsome I presumed were not a problem proved me wrong.  I never comments in cracks.

May 22, 2013 12:03 PM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thanks for sharing this information and your photographs. Settlement crack can be difficult and expensive to repair.

May 22, 2013 12:11 PM
Sidney Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula
Realty Works Temecula - Temecula, CA
Realty Works Temecula

And people are afraid of earthquakes in California? Looks like Virginia has it's own set of ground movement issues.   And with all of the basments, I would think it may mean more expensive repairs when there is an earthquake.  I had a client who was from VA and she told me she witnessed her first earthquake there a year or two ago. 

May 22, 2013 01:09 PM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Jeff, it makes all the difference on who the home inspector is when one buys home! (And this one sure is a costly mistake.)

May 22, 2013 01:38 PM
Sharon Alters
Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty - 904-673-2308 - Fleming Island, FL
Realtor - Homes for Sale Fleming Island FL

Jeff, that was a costly oversight. Nobody is perfect, but to think an engineer missed this. Didn't know you had an earthquake. Wow! Sharon

May 22, 2013 02:31 PM
Jane Chaulklin-Schott
TEAMCONNECT REALTY - (407) 394-9766 - Orlando, FL
TeamConnect Luxury Homes - Orlando, Florida, 32836
Great supportive photos to your informative blog. Will remember. Thank you for reminding us of the IMPORTANCE of checking and rechecking anything as obvious as this.
May 22, 2013 02:37 PM
Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTORĀ®, EcoBroker, GREEN

Due diligence is so critically important.  We, of course, are not home inspectors.  But common sense and curiosity oftentimes alert clients to potential issues and to seek the professionals to investigate.  Great post!

May 22, 2013 04:27 PM
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

#16- Hi Tricia, They sort of investigated, but still let it slide as"shouldn't be a problem".

#17- Hi Joan, exactly. What caused the crack. It's usually not hard to figure out.

#18- Hi Roy, Thanks. Yes, cracks can range from minor curing cracks to serious and expensive structual cracks.

#19- Hi Jane, yes, VA has a variety of ground issues. That earthquake originated in Mineral VA and caused damage to the Washington Monument and Cathedral in DC and was felt in PA.

#20- Hi Praful, The inspector did tell them to check it further, but also apparently said it was a minor issue. ( according to buyers).

#21- Hi Sharon, Yes, that scaffold that was just now completed on the Washington Monument is for repairs that were caused by the earthquake in Mineral VA. We don't get many earthquakes though. The engineer was hired by sellers.

#22- Hi jane, Thanks. Yes, I think too many clues that problems were imminent were ignored when these owners bought.

#23- Hi Jan, true, but many things are obvious and don't require an engineer. Thanks.

May 22, 2013 09:38 PM
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

Good post and crack awareness is a good Real Estate agent tool to have...thank you

May 22, 2013 11:20 PM
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

#25- Hi Richie, Thanks. Yes, we just never know what some of those cracks can lead to.

May 23, 2013 09:42 AM
Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate
Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL
Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

Some cracks can be filled in with mortar mix or caulk.  Other cracks run into thousands of dollars and beyond.  Make sure your Inspector, Builder, or Structural Engineer knows what they are doing!

May 23, 2013 12:41 PM