I have few questions , what is the box with the tank on top? Where are you ? The chimney looks lieke they removed the FP but left the chimney . I would run not walk away from that I will say does not look like 1988 build either . That is why I ask where you are in the world.

This property is for sale in middle Georgia (USA). I haven't toured it in person. The inside photos look great, very modern, even newer looking than '88. One photo shows a ground-floor fireplace that looks very old, though. Maybe the house was built around ruins? It's on a large tract of farm land. I really liked it until I saw this photo. This really perplexed me. I have no idea about the other items in the photo.

It's possible that the bottom part of the chimney in the recess is painted blue like the house.

On the other hand, I lived in a house built in the 1830s and the front hall was on the first floor but on the second, third and fourth floors there were fireplaces and a chimney on the wall of the house corresponding to where the front hall was (with no fireplace or chimney). The upper fireplaces were built on masonry corbels supporting the shallow cantilever needed for the fireplaces above.

That looks like it could be a meat smoker.

I believe it is an optical illusion. It actually does touch the ground. The walls with the windows on the bottom stick out further than the sided wall above the roof.

Here is the fireplace inside:

Clyde, I thought it must surely be an illusion. But this other view looks even less like it is supported from the ground. Referencing the straight-on photo, the chimney should be filling the center space. It is a very interesting house. Your photo shows how nice the interior is. Also, though, while it looks very modern, the fireplace and flooring look antique. I can't figure it out.

Duh: ) Go IN person, which I'd assume you would want to do for any home purchase you'd be considering. Before you sign a dotted anything......get a very qualified inspector at the site, and the mysteries of the house will not be mysteries.

There's a lot of "free genius" on Houzz.......but none of the genius has the devining rod to see inside the framing walls, structural supports or lack thereof: )

If you are interested in the house, hire a reputable inspector for peace of mind to identify all/any issues and if still interested, your offer should reflect the costs to deal with them.

If this is as it appears, I won't waste time going in person.. I just had never seen such a thing, and I wondered if it was something that others were familiar with. My question was more like, "Do you see what I think I see, and is that normal?" Like Clyde, I wasn't sure if it was an optical illusion.

When I intend to buy any property, I will certainly tour it in person and hire an inspector.

" APPEARS".............is the operative word. You don't know, and neither do we.

It appeals enough to travel, or it doesn't. What did you expect us to see, that you can not see? You judge the book by the cover, or you at least crack it open to read the flyleaf or forward: )?

It's difficult to see from the photo. It could be that the support for the chimney is actually present but because it is painted blue it just isn't apparent. The upper portion of the chimney has to be supported by something. Otherwise, it would have fallen down. If you aren't able to travel to the house you could hire a local inspector to inspect the house and give you their assessment of what condition the house is in.

Jan, I wondered if anyone else had seen such a thing, as I have not. And like Palimpsest and Clyde, I wasn't sure it wasn't an optical illusion at first. If any posters are familiar with a chimney that begins on an upper level, which I am not, I thought perhaps they could tell me how that is done. I asked if some chimneys are built this way, without support from the ground. You mentioned framing walls and structural supports. Are you saying that upper floor chimneys are built using structural supports that aren't visible from the outside? If so, that would be helpful for me to learn about. OTOH, if someone knows that chimneys should never be built like this, that would also be helpful to know.

^^

AGREE with a zoom of the texture of the blue AND the orange. So.............go LOOK ?

You aren't listening. Look at the texture, don't expect a real estate shot to give you feet and inches. EVER NOTICE how much larger a home looks online than in person? The fireplace/chimney goes to the ground the house is sitting upon, and I will bet you a lunch.

Seeing inside walls? Nobody can. That is why remodel is more expensive per sq foot than a new build.....surprise!!

I don't understand your reluctance to just GO.

It lines up. The second picture shows it:

@rojonogo Look at what the depth of that recess would be by looking at the wall to the right of the window inside. Now compare the recess to that. The recess should be deeper but it is not because the firebox and chimney are taking up part of that space. I could be totally wrong but that is how it looks to me. With that said the only way you would really know is if you go to see it in person because pictures are deceiving,

"but because it is painted blue it doesn’t look like it is touching the ground. Does that make sense? I am not sure how to explain it. "

Also explained as

Red and all shades thereof: a color that visually advances! to your eye, most noticeable first!

Blue_ far more recessive than the red.

I believe it goes to the ground too. If the house interests you, then go look at it. I dont believe it was built in 1988 though. It appears to be many years older than that.

Now seeing the inside it seems the cimney has suppot in that huge box inside but a real puzzle I admit

Seeing the inside gives me more evidence that the exterior chimney extends to the ground. Compare the interior depth of the window bumpouts to the depth of the window bumpouts on the exterior in those recesses.

It's 200 miles away, Jan. I will see it when I can.

So, you did all see something I cannot see. I am glad I asked! Thank you all for your input

One thing about the chimney that I think is wrong, it's not tall enough to meet code. I don't know what the exact clearance needs to be, maybe 4 feet higher than the roof of the house is needed.

I think this is a much older home the 1980's. It's been altered. Maybe a new roof, new higher trusses that brought roof up too close to the top of the chimney. Bump outs added on either side of chimney look added on from what was originally there.

😲

Now that youve pointed out these things, I think you are right on all counts.

You could certainly write to the realtor and ask if and when the chimney was altered and whether the permits were filed. You might be able to call the town where the property is and ask about permits.

I'd not count on much information in what seeeeems to be a fairly rural part of Georgia?

I'm guessing the chimney is wood framed with a skin to look like stucco with a metal chimney inside.