3 Signs That a House May Have a Foundation Problem

3 Signs That a House May Have a Foundation Problem

So, you’ve found the perfect home for sale in Naples, and you’ve fallen in love head over heels. Although you may have hearts in your eyes for your potential new place, be sure to keep your eyes open for seemingly small issues like these that could point to a bigger issue—a foundation problem.

Sign #1. Kitchen Counters That Separate From Walls, or Crack

If you walk through a home and notice that there are counter surfaces that have begun to pull away from the walls, or that have formed a significant crack, they could be signs of a larger problem. The house may not have settled well, and as a result, it may have shifted and become improperly aligned. This could be due to a fault in its foundation.

Sign #2. Baseboards That Pull Away From Walls

As a home settles after it’s built its baseboards should remain intact and attached to walls. If you notice baseboards that are separating from walls in your potential new home, it means that the house hasn’t settled properly. As you walk through the residence, be aware of whether it has floors that are uneven or pipes that leak. All of these issues could be indicative of a failure in the foundation.

Sign #3. Cracks in Walls

Don’t worry. Not all cracks mean that there’s a problem with a home. Some cracks are just superficial and occur as a result of normal settling. These kinds of cosmetic cracks can be fixed with a little spackle, sandpaper, and paint. When a crack is normal, it’s likely to be vertical and about 2 to 6 inches long. The width may be about 1/16 of an inch.

If you find cracks that run horizontally, however, or ones that are wider than 1/16 of an inch, it could mean that the house did not settle normally. If you see cracks like these that match up exactly with cracks on the outside of the house, it likely points to a problem with the foundation.

It’s not likely that you’ll be able to tell whether a crack is 1/16 of an inch with the naked eye—and you probably won’t be walking around an open house with a measuring tape. So, mention cracks like these to your realtor. If you end up submitting an offer for the home, be sure to point out such cracks during a home inspection.

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At Alexandra Janz AJ International Group Naples, the team of Alexandra Janz & Juergen Haeringer, Broker Associates & Luxury Properties Specialists with William Raveis-Florida, LLC, help clients realize their dreams of purchasing a luxury home and basking in the glow of the Naples and Southwest Florida luxury lifestyle. Alexandra is not only an expert in the real estate market in Naples and Southwest Florida, but in international markets as well.

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