Help Needed! Would You Buy This Car?

imax

or this house thanks for your input
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Two cars identical except one has been in a major accident and repaired to factory specs while the other shows signs of age but still is in fine condition but no accidents. Which would you buy?

The reason I ask is simple

I own a house that has recently suffered structural and foundation damage due to the work of a construction company. Here are several pictures from last year when the work was being done. Keep in mind that the damage is much worse now due to the shifting of the house. Cracks are now 3 to 4 times the size width and run the length of the house on 3 sides and working there way to the fourth side.




The view out my bedroom window





The Cracks






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I have been told that the foundation can be repaired using something called pin point pilings and when it’s repaired the foundation supposedly will be as good as new, but whatever other damage caused throughout the residence seen or unseen may still be there.

Since I have to disclose this damage and also any repairs made to anyone in the future interested in purchasing the property I pose the same question.

Given the opportunity to choose between a home that has been repaired due to foundation and structural issues and one that has never had any structural or foundation issues, which would you purchase?

I really do appreciate the input on this, I have my own opinions which I have expressed to several of the powers that be but they still don’t get it.. I need to get a feel of what the public opinion would be on this simple question before I go any further. Thanks for any input.

Joe

entropysedge

Having been in car sales and using your car analogy, I can tell you that an overwhelming majority of people would pick the car that has never been in an accident. There is always the question mark in the back of the mind about how well was the repair actually done.

wompom1

IMHO, I agree with entropysedge, the vehicle that has had body/structual repairs will have much lesser value than the unaffected vehicle. Additionally, depending on the nature of the repairs, you may have insurance issues if future claims arise in the prior-repaired area. Unless it is a smokin deal, go with the cleaner (less body repairs) deal.
Also, always run a car-fax to ensure that there are no surprises...there are some good body shops that can do miracles. my .02


regarding the house...unlike the automotive ? above, this is a tough call. but with realestate, location, location, location is where I would put my focus.
Good luck

claudermilk

As with the rest, yep the undamaged option is preferred. The repaired car/house is still saleable, but the value suffers accordingly. As a buyer, I'd definitely demand a lower price based on the fact that there was some fairly extensive damage.

SloYerRoll

imax wrote:

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I have been told that the foundation can be repaired using something called pin point pilings and when it’s repaired the foundation supposedly will be as good as new,

I have no real expercience w/ foundations. I DO know though that once you bend the chasis (foundation) of a car even the slightest bit. It will never be factory new. I'm fairly confident the same rule applies to any "foundation".

My parents had the foundation of their house "floated" due to the ground settling around them. 2 years later and the cracks in the garage are appearing again. While this may not be a viable option, I'd definately have some research done on the pilings thing. The company may just be trying to give you a quick fix and release them from financial liability.

And no, I wouldn't buy that house if I knew structural damage occured. I'd spend the extra money having peace of mind in regards to structural integrity.

-Jon

pyroPrints.com

That's the kind of problem, that should not overlooked. It will almost certainly cost you more money and effort than you think. I'm not sure what your options are, but I would try to get compensation from that construction company.

DoctorIt

Joe, this is a tough situation, for sure a shame.

Let's not get tied up in the car analogy too much, I think everyone will agree on that end. The unfortunate truth is, maybe you're thinking too far ahead? I don't see much to decide on the matter, your foundation is damaged and it needs to be repaired.

I'm sure there's more to this situation, but that's where I would focus - learn about the best repair techniques and contractors in your area.

Joe, honestly, we're a bunch of photogs and web nerds, you need to be talking with (1) an attorney, (2) a trustworthy and knowledgeable contractor, and (3) maybe a good real estate broker.

imax

Hey Erik and everyone else,

Thanks for the input. Erik I have spoke with all of the above and have been doing so for over 14 months. The problem that I have is that my house is broken, no matter how you slice it. The damage done is not only to the foundation, but god knows what else.

That being said, imho fixing the foundation by doing pin pilings is just a temporary fix no matter what anyone says. It does not fix the sagging pipes, the roof that now leaks due to the shifting of the house, nor does it cover anything else wrong with it caused by this incident.

The point I am trying to hammer home to those you mentioned Erik is that no matter what I do to repair my already damaged house, I lose.

Why?

Because in the back of any reasonable persons mind the fact remains that the house was broken and if they purchase it there is still the possibility that all the damage was not repaired. THe only reasonable solution is to rebuild the whole house from the foundation up imo.

And as far as this

Joe, honestly, we're a bunch of photogs and web nerds,

I value your opinions more then any contractor, attorney or real estate person because in the end Erik, I will be selling this house to one of us, the general public and not them. Thanks again for the input.

Joe

DoctorIt wrote:

Joe, this is a tough situation, for sure a shame.

Let's not get tied up in the car analogy too much, I think everyone will agree on that end. The unfortunate truth is, maybe you're thinking too far ahead? I don't see much to decide on the matter, your foundation is damaged and it needs to be repaired.

I'm sure there's more to this situation, but that's where I would focus - learn about the best repair techniques and contractors in your area.

Joe, honestly, we're a bunch of photogs and web nerds, you need to be talking with (1) an attorney, (2) a trustworthy and knowledgeable contractor, and (3) maybe a good real estate broker.

Rhuarc

While I don't have any experience in the contractor business I grew up around it. My Dad and Grandfather are both General Contractors. A lot of GCs won't directly do the foundation work, but they get in a companie that does concrete and foundations exclusivley.

As far as pin pilings they are for real. All they do is they dig holes beside the foundation so they can actually get under the foundation. Once they have a hole under the foundation they start putting concrete "pins" about 8 inches in diameter underneath the foundation. Each pin is about a foot long. They use a hydraulic jack between the foundation and the pin to force the pin into the ground. Once that pin is far enough in the ground they add another pin on top of that, and keep pushing both pins down. They keep doing this until the pins hit bedrock and can't go down any further. They do these pins every few feet around the entire foundation, usually. Maybe only part of it if they feel the majority of the house isn't too bad. So after they get done the foundation is no longer resting all it's weight on the ground, the foundation is actually supported by the "pins" or pilings that go down into the ground all the way to firm bedrock.

Does this make sense? Again, I don't claim to know the ins and outs of it. This is just the knowledge I have gained from observing and asking questions on job sites. Hope this helps! Oh, and if anyone else here can confirm or deny any of these please do so!!

VisualXpressions

I would fight for a total rebuild of the house... with that said you may not get it, but I think you will end up with more repairs than simply the foundation... Of course there is allways a chance you could win the full monty when and if you go to court! It isn't a simple or inexpensive process, as you well know, so I guess a lot depends on how far you are willing to go and weather or not you have the resources available to sink into this fight... The responsible parties who caused the damage will try to pay as little as possible for your loss... So I say fight!

Winston

DoctorIt

A good town building inspector can be your best friend (mine helped me finish the sheetrock in my garage! ). Not only will he inspect the house more objectively and thoroughly than anyone else, he will usually know the right people to call in for help. AND, if the party that caused damage to your house is a big developer in your area, they will NOT want to look bad in his eyes.

Joe, I get the impression you were looking to sell in the near future? If so, can there be some mutual agreement between a good broker and the contractor that caused the damage? Not all contractors want to be developers, but I'd be shocked by one (of reasonable size/experience) who hadn't done at least spec house. If given a reasonable option to buy your lot and develop, perhaps they would be more willing to do right by you, rather than just being attacked for complete reparations.

By the way, this is all just some stuff I've picked up through my own development project, and by being close friends with a big developer/contractor back home. So take my advice with a grain.

I hope there's a happy ending somewhere in this.

GREAPER

Just some thoughts

If the insurance company is telling you the repairs are going to return the house to full market value, tell them that that is fine, They can buy the house, fix it and see if they can sell it. They can also pay your moving expenses. Meanwhile in todays sagging market you can you can use the money to upgrade.



They can fix the problem but there may be things that pop up later that were caused by this and you might get stuck. Ask for rebuild money, fix the foundation and save the rest for future problems.

first thing, get a lawyer.

imax

DoctorIt wrote:

A good town building inspector can be your best friend (mine helped me finish the sheetrock in my garage! ). Not only will he inspect the house more objectively and thoroughly than anyone else, he will usually know the right people to call in for help. AND, if the party that caused damage to your house is a big developer in your area, they will NOT want to look bad in his eyes.

Town building inspector? Well the only problem there is that this was a job done for the town I live in by sub contractors hired by the city. I highly doubt that they would be concerned about looking bad in their eyes. When my wife and I approached them in late July of last year they wouldn't do a damn thing.

Joe, I get the impression you were looking to sell in the near future? If so, can there be some mutual agreement between a good broker and the contractor that caused the damage? Not all contractors want to be developers, but I'd be shocked by one (of reasonable size/experience) who hadn't done at least spec house. If given a reasonable option to buy your lot and develop, perhaps they would be more willing to do right by you, rather than just being attacked for complete reparations.I hope there's a happy ending somewhere in this.

My wife and I wanted to put the house up for sale last year and move to Tennessee. Unfortunately now we are stuck. We can't sell it the way it is, we can't afford to fix it. It really sucks to be honest. Happy endings, one can only hope. But I really do appreciate everyones input.

Joe