Selling a Home with Structural Issues: How to Overcome Obstacles

Structural issues are never good news, but they don't have to freeze your home-selling plans. With the right knowledge and resources, you can successfully navigate the challenges of selling a house with structural issues.

To get the best price, you'll need to know how to identify these problems, assess their severity, and develop strategies for overcoming them when selling your home. Your worries are over; here's how to sell a house with foundation issues!

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Identifying Structural Issues

Identifying signs of structural damage starts with getting a home inspection. Common causes of structural damage can range from natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes to improper construction methods or materials. Assessing the severity of these issues will help determine what repairs or remediation may be necessary in order to maximize your return.

To accurately assess the gravity of structural issues in a home, it is important to be aware of the various kinds of damage and their respective expenses. Structural damage can range from minor cosmetic defects to major repairs requiring extensive labor and materials. Common types of structural damage include:

• Water intrusion
• Foundation settlement
• Wood rot
• Termite infestation
• Corrosion due to moisture or salt exposure

Each type of issue has unique characteristics that must be evaluated before determining the extent and cost of remediation. In any case, it's important to have a professional inspection done if you suspect there may be an issue with the structure of your home. A professional assessment can give you in-depth knowledge of the structure's base and other components, enabling you to make sound decisions concerning fixes or restorative activities.

Assessing the Severity of Structural Issues

A cost assessment is helpful if you want to understand what needs to be done in order to sell a home with structural damage properly. A feasible cost estimate can inform your plans to facilitate a successful sale for sellers and buyers.

Repair expenditures are determined by a variety of elements, such as:

• The scope and intricacy of the task
• Regional contractors' labor costs
• Availability of necessary repair materials
• Any extra services needed, like engineering evaluations or specialized treatments.

In addition to repair costs, long-term implications may cause in-home health and safety risks. If not addressed properly, these could affect property values over time. Because of this, getting an accurate assessment from a qualified professional is essential. They can provide an estimate on both short-term repairs as well as potential long-term impacts related to property value depreciation.

How to Sell a Home with Structural Issues

Selling a home with structural issues can be difficult, but understanding the disclosure requirements and negotiating strategies available to you and working with professionals can help make it easier. After finding any structural damage and assessing its severity, consider these additional tips to sell any home with structural issues successfully.

Meet Disclosure Requirements

When selling a home with structural issues in Texas, it's important to understand the disclosure requirements of Texas real estate law. According to Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), sellers are not legally required to disclose inspection reports.

However, sellers must disclose all known defects relating to the property, no matter how the issues were discovered. A real estate agent also has a duty to disclose any material facts known to them about the property and any defects they may have observed in a basic visual inspection. Lastly, potential buyers and their agents are likely to ask about previous inspection reports. Therefore, sellers should be prepared to all questions about the condition of the property honestly.

Negotiate with Buyers

Negotiating with buyers can effectively cover repair costs or lower the price point of a home with structural issues. Buyers may be willing to accept responsibility for some repairs if they are given sufficient time and resources to do so.

As a seller, you should also consider offering incentives—such as reduced closing costs or other concessions—in order to make their offer more attractive. Be sure to act in a lawful manner during negotiations, as any violation of applicable regulations could lead to legal repercussions. Additionally, finding a cash buyer or a fix-and-flip investor can help speed up the sale.

Get Help From a Professional

Working with professionals before listing a home for sale is essential when dealing with homes with structural issues. Professionals such as contractors, engineers, and architects can offer invaluable guidance to sellers on how best to address structural issues without incurring high costs or legal obligations.

Getting an expert to evaluate a property is also a great way to ensure you proceed legally when it comes time for negotiations between yourself and the buyer. If a professional attests that specific structural issues aren't dangerous, you can gain some negotiating power when selling.

FAQs About Selling a Home With Structural Issues

Here are some questions many people ask about selling a home with structural issues.

How can sellers be exempt from disclosures?

In Texas, home sellers are only required to disclose details of the property's condition to the "best of their belief and knowledge." This means that a seller is not legally required to attach previous inspection reports in the Seller's Notice of Property Condition.

Sellers may also forgo disclosures when:

• Selling a new-build home
• Using an "as-is" agreement
• Selling as a removed entity (e.g. a bank) that wouldn't have prior knowledge

It's worth noting that disclosures aren't inherently disadvantageous to sellers. Voluntary disclosure of known structural issues, a T-47 property survey, and other details that affect ownership can help sellers get the best possible price and avoid costly legal disputes.

Is it worth buying a house with foundation issues?

For the average buyer, buying a house with foundation problems is not advisable, as the cost of repairs could be significant. Foundation problems can lead to structural damage and compromise the integrity of the home, making it unsafe for occupants. Additionally, foundation issues may also reduce property value and make it difficult to resell in the future.

However, real estate investors might buy a home with foundation issues because it could present an opportunity to purchase the property at a discounted price and then renovate or repair the foundation to increase its value for resale or rental income. Additionally, these homes can be purchased cheaply and demolished, providing opportunities to build custom homes in dense urban areas with limited vacant land.

Can I get a loan on a house with foundation issues?

Obtaining a loan on a property with foundation issues may be possible. However, the extent of the issue (or issues) and any needed repairs will need to be assessed, and not all types of home loans will be compatible.

Lenders may require an inspection by a qualified professional before approving any loans. It may also be necessary to undertake repairs before closing or have the cost of them factored into a loan application, should extensive work need doing. Moreover, other elements, such as the current market, may also be taken into account by lenders when deciding to grant a loan for this kind of property.

Don't Let Foundation Isses Crack Your Selling Plans

Selling a home with structural problems may seem intimidating, but it doesn't need to be. With the correct tools and approaches, you can confidently tackle this challenge. Understanding what structural issues may exist in your home and how best to address them will give you the greatest chance of selling quickly at a fair price. Don't let structural issues stand between you and achieving your real estate goals!

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.