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Something Seems Off

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Ward County Notary Services 607851

I guess for Titus the guinea pig things were off by a hair or two 😄. 

It's not unusual for things to be a little off in an older home. This happens due to a homes foundation settling. You may be able to see it with a naked eye and you may not but using a level as pictured above you can easily detect how (by direction) the home has settled.

A lesson I learned when I was 18.

A close friend of mine purchased an old farmhouse to fix up and live in. It was a large home, abandoned for years, and it needed a lot of work. It did have a lot of cool woodwork, all of which needed refinishing to show off it's once regal beauty. None of the cabinets or drawers worked correctly. The house was very similar to this:

Besides doors and drawers not fitting the floors looked like this as well:

My friend Mic is/was a perfectionist and I thought: fixing all this will take a decade or more. Mic had a home moving company come in, lift the home, and a new foundation was poured for the home to sit on. 

Much to my surprise once the old house was set on the new foundation everything including the floor set back perfectly as if a great craftsman put it all together that day. Every cabinet drawer and door fit absolutely perfectly.

To note: if doors and drawers are not fitting like they did when your home was new it may be a good idea to get an expert, like a home mover, to come look the situation over. Chances are a few well placed floor jacks will fix the problem and a full new foundation will not be needed.

 

 

Posted by

Do you enjoy the cartoons written by my son (Timmothy N. Timm) which I use as a springboard to write my daily posts? His strip, Titus & Philemon, has run in two newspapers for years as well as being printed in my blog every day. Titus & Philemon (pronounced Phi - Lee -Man) are guinea pigs. Their owner is Joe. Timmothy has never repeated a joke/comic strip in the 12 years he has been writing it. He has never copied another strip, such as Peanuts or Garfield. You can follow Timmothy on FB as Titus & Philemon and you can also check him out on Instagram as Instagram.com/titus and philemon/ .For Timmothy's website type timmtimmothy.com into your browser. I tried to put it in a link here but it refuses to work. Do NOT put anything in front of timmtimmothy.com or it will not work. 

Comments(10)

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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Bob - many things shift a bit or more with age.  I definitely know I have. . .   

Jun 10, 2025 04:09 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Thanks for a true LOL Michael Jacobs .  It seems that no matter how hard I try I can no longer get a flat tummy.

Jun 10, 2025 05:47 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

Good morning, Bob... the first thing I recommend to my clients who are looking a very old homes is a structural and foundation inspection. You are bound to find issues unless a home has been recently fully renovated. They just built homes differently back then and you have to expect foundation issues.

Jun 10, 2025 04:38 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

As a do-it-myselfer Nina Hollander, Broker homes with poor foundations were the one project I'd never touch. I did have one home that had a fieldstone and concrete foundation that was about two feet thick but constantly flaking... it drove me nuts.

Jun 10, 2025 05:51 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker

Bob "RealMan" Timm some things need to be handled by licensed professionals.

Jun 10, 2025 06:04 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Wow, that's great to hear that everything was fixed with that new foundation.

Jun 10, 2025 04:54 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

It was like magic Kat Palmiotti . I thought it was a great testimony to the craftsmen who did the woodwork as it all worked perfectly once set back on a good foundation.

Jun 10, 2025 05:53 AM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Oswego, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Bob. You can't escape the need for a solid foundation. You can pay mow or pay later. I prefer now! Enjoy your day.

Jun 10, 2025 05:33 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Right on Wayne Martin ! A new foundation is really expensive but WOW, what great results when you set a quality home on it.

Jun 10, 2025 05:56 AM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Hmm, I think the shedding is what turns me off a bit about having pets in my life, haha.

Jun 10, 2025 05:40 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

It is a big turn off Brian England , like being around a chain smoker you just can not keep it off your clothes.

Jun 10, 2025 05:58 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Good Tuesday morning, Bob.

This is an interesting story to share.

Have a great day!

Jun 10, 2025 05:42 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Ward County Notary Services - Minot, ND
Owner of Ward Co Notary Services retired RE Broker

Had I not seen it I would not have believed it Roy Kelley . The house was old and worn. I am sure if someone like my friend had not purchased it the home would have collapsed into a pile of rubble.

Jun 10, 2025 06:00 AM
Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

One of the many things my father did when young...he built houses. He said they eyeballed everything. I could see some possible mistakes being made.

Jun 10, 2025 06:41 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

I'd bet your father had a good idea as to where support wall truly needed to be placed Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty . When the trend of "open space" first came along I believe a lot of mistakes were made when it came to supporting the original structure.

Jun 10, 2025 06:50 AM
Lew Corcoran
Better Living Real Estate, LLC - East Bridgewater, MA
Expert guidance. Exceptional results.

Thanks so much for sharing this insightful post, Bob "RealMan" Timm! I really appreciate how you broke down the subtle signs of foundation settling in such a relatable way. It’s definitely a helpful tip for both pros and homeowners alike. 😊 Keep the great advice coming!

Jun 10, 2025 09:45 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Lew Corcoran this info came from deep in my old hard drive, approximately 50 years ago. I didn't even recollect this information as I cam across bad foundations when I was actively selling.

Jun 10, 2025 11:21 AM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Bob and thank you for a great blog to share with us on this Tuesday here in the Rain.

Jun 10, 2025 09:52 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm

Thank you for visiting my post Will Hamm .

Jun 10, 2025 11:18 AM