Hi everyone. Just wanted some opinions on a possible purchase of a house to renovate and sell. I have only had one fairly quick look at the house but I wanted to try to get some ideas about how scared I should be. Its a 100 hundred year old house with two stories and approx 1400 sq feet and is located in a relatively dry part of the pacific northwest. The foundation is entirely post and pier the posts are approx 2 feet long and are sitting on what appear to be solitary rocks or some times just dirt. A few of the posts that are sitting in the dirt still seem to be in okay shape amazingly enough.
There is what appears to be an addition or porch (10×20) that was enclosed later. It seems like it was supported by a large beam sitting in the dirt with two foot posts on it. That part of the house definitely has problems and some of the posts have obviously sunk or fallen down and that part of the house has a definite slope and there appears to be some separation of the siding where that part attaches to the old house.
One other wall which is original and perpendicular to the porch appears to have a slight curve outwards about 3″ or so. It is sticking out the most about 4 feet from the ground or about two feet above the floor joist.
The original wood siding appears to go all the way to the ground but it has been covered up with asbestos shingles so it is hard to tell exactly what kind of shape it is in. All of the floor joist and rim joist I could see looked to be in very good shape but I didn’t get to see everywhere in detail.
I am looking to buy, fix and resell and make money. I would obviously get a good look everywhere before I bought it but am just trying to get any idea about what I am looking at to see if it can even pencil out as a possibility. I have done a little jacking up of a porch that was falling down and have jacked up a small cottage to replace a rotten rim joist along one end. I’m wondering if you would recommend hiring someone to put a put in a perimeter foundation in after pulling off the skirt siding and if you have a rough idea of what that would cost. Or would I be better off just pouring some cement footings and replacing the posts with pressure treated lumber myself. Or should I be afraid, very afraid and run the other direction?
Thanks for any help, Brian
Replies
What you're looking at is costly and alot of work. we once had a 1920's garage jacked up that had the bottom plates sitting directly on dirt.( talk about your mud sills). It's very annoying to retro fit an out of square foundation. We had to do some major work on one part of the house as well. If the price is right I suppose it can be worth it. I'm not sure what the exact costs you're looking at, but those kinda jobs are never cheap.