The foundation of your home is one of the most important things in your home. Here's why!
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The real estate market consists of different customers with different tastes. Some tend to focus on how many bedrooms there are in a house to accommodate a large family or have college students rent it. Others pay more attention to how big the garden is for recreational or gardening purposes. Whatever your preferences, you should know that the foundation of the house should be one of the first things that you really should check before anything else.
What makes the foundation important
Rain or shine, the roof and the walls of the house protect you from all rough elements. These parts of the house allow you to live comfortably even in the most extreme weather conditions. In the meantime, the foundation and the rest of the house are constantly being stressed by these functions.
Since everything is built on it, it can be said that the foundation is the heart of every residence. With this principle in mind, if the foundation is undamaged and stable, its integrity can support the distributed weight of the house. When looking for an apartment, you should limit yourself to houses with solid foundations.
Why the repair of foundations increases the value of the house
Let's imagine being in the buyer's position for a while. You see an expansive, well-kept property this is perfect for many activities. Inside are the rooms mint-clean. The walls are free of cracks and the floors look like new. You can already imagine living in this house.
However, if you go down the lower level you will see water seeping through cracks in the basement, and the musty smell of mold lingers in the air. These signs of water damage are potential deal breakers and you would likely have changed your mind if you encountered these issues.
As a seller, you need to make the home as attractive as possible to potential buyers. If you're not lucky enough to attract the attention of someone who loves home remodeling as a hobby, you should get one Foundation repair Companies come and work on the damaged foundations of the house.
Aside from aesthetic reasons, taking on the foundation repairs beforehand can take the strain off your buyers, because a damaged foundation invites typical house problems such as the following:
- Mould
- flooding
- Bad insulation
- Pest infestation
By getting the foundation repaired before you sell the house, you not only help your buyers but also avoid any liability for the sale of a house which can cause various problems due to poor foundation.
In addition, foundation repair also gives you (or the buyer) more options to renovate the house, as fresh foundation could allow new features to be installed that would not be possible before a repair. So, if you are planning on investing in this home to further remodel it or improve the layout to add value, prioritizing a stable foundation is the best way to start.
What to consider when repairing the foundation
Hiring a foundation repair company over and over again because you can still see hairline cracks along the foundation is an enormous waste of money. Before having the foundation repaired one more time, review the external factors that can affect the foundation, such as:
1. Landscaping
Surrounding the house with nature makes it more attractive, but it's not always good for the foundation. As trees and other plants grow, their roots tend to go so deeply into the ground that some of those roots can dig into the foundation and cause cracks in it.
Find out all about the plants you want to grow on your property. Their lifespan, the length of their roots, the distance they need to grow – everything. This allows you to plan how to arrange the plants in a visually appealing way without endangering the house.
If you want to be on the safe side, give it a try Potscaping? Instead of worrying about landscaping, potted plants allow you to bring life to your property without worrying about the soil for your foundation. Additionally, your buyer has the freedom to move these plants in case they want to change anything after purchasing the property.
2. Drainage system
Since the foundation of your home is surrounded by earth, it may not be easy to know what will happen or how the soil will shift, especially when groundwater is involved. The floor is similar to wood: it expands a little when it absorbs water. While this won't pose a problem to your plants, it can pose a serious threat to the foundation of your home.
House foundations are often surrounded by clay soil. The job of this type of soil is to hold the water in order to keep it away from the foundation. However, if you let the soil dry – especially in midsummer – it can swell from the uptake of rainwater. When a rainstorm hits, the water over-saturates the soil, forcing it to expand so suddenly that it puts pressure on the foundation that can crack. So that this doesn't happen hydrate the soil regularly right around the house.
3. Preparation of the soil
The soil's moisture absorption can also be influenced by the slope of the terrain. As the plot of land slopes into your home, rainwater will naturally divert towards your building. Cause soil saturation. This could cause the foundation to shift and become uneven, which in turn could compromise its structural integrity.
Solving this problem may require significant foundation repairs as workers have to go under the house to check the ground. In most cases, uneven ground is stabilized and reinforced by saturating the ground with concrete aggregate.
Build up
The foundation is an often overlooked part of the home that is ignored in favor of a better looking home. However, that doesn't make it any less important and deserves more attention, especially for those looking to sell a home. For the seller, maintaining the foundation in top shape increases the value of the property. For buyers new to the real estate scene, learning how a solid foundation can affect the entire home when looking for their dream home is a must.
