sill plate not touching foundation wall

8 years ago

"More significant settling and displacement of masonry foundation in the NW corner is noted with sill plate not touching foundation wall (viewable from basement). Also, settling of interior soil and concrete top cap/foundation in basement on north side of basement is noted, which has affected the structure of the building (pier for beam)." The house this is the issue on is from 1927. Should I run from this?

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Comments (5)

SJ McCarthy
8 years ago
Lets play the game "What if...?"

What if the WORST THING POSSIBLE occurs and you need either a complete foundation restructuring (ie. jack up the house, rip out the foundation, put in a new one and drop the house back down) or you need to tear down the house?

Do you have the budget for either? If you answered, "Yes, financially we can do this," do you have the 'stomach' for it? Do you have alternative housing available for many months (3-6months)?

If you answered "No" to any of those points, then you should have a STRONG look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are ready to own a 90yr old home and ALL the issues that come with it (don't get me going on electrical and plumbing, asbestos, lead, moisture mitigation, etc).

If you are still on the fence after asking yourself these questions, then pay an engineer/contractor to come out and do an inspection with an eye towards PROJECT COSTS...that means how much it would cost to FIX the problem...and anything else that needs doing.

This type of fee should be hundreds and hundreds of dollars. A FULL assessment (after you purchase the property) could be a couple of thousand dollars including costs/plans for the renovation.
Nikki Barron thanked SJ McCarthy
Nikki Barron
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks SJ, gives me more to consider!
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SJ McCarthy
8 years ago
I guess my next question is: "How did your answers make you 'feel'?" Did you feel anxious, or did you feel "Ok; I can handle this; no problem"?
Nikki Barron
Original Author
8 years ago
Well the current homeowners already addressed all those other things you mentioned here (updated the wiring, plumbing, roof, moisture) The inspector also noted that the settling amount is far below average for our a house in Seattle of this age. The other homeowners in the past have done a good job of mitigating what they could as far as settling goes. It's my first house in a super competitive market (Seattle) and I do have money saved for a major fix at this houses price point. I also can stay with family for 3-6 months if that is what it took. So my gut reaction was not to freak out.
SJ McCarthy
8 years ago
Good for you! Now get the projected costs for a project like this. I'm in Vancouver BC (little hotter than your location but not by much). We are seeing $1.1M tear downs/condemned houses. The cost to fix those beauties = $1.5 - $3.5M.

If you have the budget and the price is right - go for it. These old darlings can be stunning when done up nicely.
Nikki Barron thanked SJ McCarthy