The American Dream is plain and simple: buy dirt. Whether the current real estate market is booming or just a bubble is up for debate – regardless, home sales and prices are spiking across the nation.
Let’s face it – the world has changed. More and more people work from home, creating demand for bigger living spaces than cramped apartments and condos.
In addition, communal family living is on the rise with more adult children than ever living with their parents due to a post-pandemic economy. What used to be a bad joke about a thirty-something kid living in the basement is no longer funny or indicative of irresponsibility.
People across the nation want to upgrade their square footage – bidding on a limited, highly sought-after commodity.
The new home builders can’t keep up and are backlogged for months. Resale homes are going for way above the asking price with all-cash offers. This train is not slowing down.
So, maybe you want to take full advantage of the bull market, bet it all on black: sell your home, burn your cell, and retire to Fiji sipping Mai Tais on the beach. But there’s just one problem – your home’s foundation is in less than stellar condition.
In which case, you should read our article: Sell Your Home with Foundation Issues
Or perhaps you are considering purchasing a home with a busted foundation or even a recently fixed foundation and you want to know if it’s worth the investment.
The truth: foundation repair always increases home value.
A failed foundation can detract anywhere from 10% to 20% of your home’s total value. If your home is worth $350,000, then you may only receive $280,000 – that’s a $70k difference.
The average foundation repair cost with Dalinghaus in 2021 is $24,000. Meaning (in this scenario) if you utilize Dalinghaus Construction Inc. for your foundation repair, you could be up 46k.
Foundation Repair increases your home value on three primary fronts:
- Structural integrity
- Cosmetics
- Warranty
First of all, if it’s not broke – don’t fix it.
Foundation repair infers foundation damage. Foundation repair always increases a home’s value because foundation failure always decreases a home’s value.
Some very honest and upstanding foundation repair companies will try to sell you on the wonderful idea (usually after they repair one section of your home) that your entire home needs to be protected against further settlement or heave. You should buy some magic beans or the emperor’s clothes while you’re at it.
Protection is code for: unnecessary work and more money out of your pocket. Foundation repair is just that – repair. Foundation “protection” does nothing to add equity to your home.
Foundation Repair Adds Structural Integrity Value
Foundation settlement and foundation heave (both instigated by expansive soil) are the primary causes of foundation failure.
True to their names, foundation settlement sinks a home, and foundation heave pushes the home upward, both exerting undue pressure onto the home. Believe it or not, homes are not made to go up and down like a seesaw. Concrete, though strong, is not known for its elastic properties.
At its worst, foundation failure can result in a home being red-tagged and deemed unlivable. Although, this is more common in homes with hillside slope stabilization issues.
In short, people generally purchase homes for one of two reasons:
- To live in
- To rent or sell
Structural integrity is key for both outcomes and is obviously imperative to the overall value of the home. Therefore, foundation repair is worth it if just for the privilege of living in your home without worrying about foundation failure extensive enough to force you out.
The vast majority of people don’t heavily scrutinize their foundations, whether it’s crawling into a crawlspace or performing a walk-around.
And, even if they did, many don’t know what to look for. Turns out, many of the signs and symptoms are not directly found on the foundation itself.
The uneven pressure caused by foundation settlement and foundation heave is like a virus that starts in the heart and travels to the rest of the body.
The pressure is transferred up through the foundation, to the bones of the home, and eventually into the interior. This results in several telltale signs and symptoms.
The signs and symptoms that point to compromised structural integrity are:
- Sloping floors (the numero uno clue that something is amiss with the home’s foundation)
- Cracks zipping through the drywall, stucco, tile, or cement slab itself
- Sticking doors and windows (hard to open, hard to close, frames askew)
- Leaning Kitchen Cabinets (like the King of Pop’s 45° leaning dance move in the Smooth Criminal music video)
Now, many of these signs would be considered cosmetic. Something about the human brain in wired for symmetry. Cracks zipping through drywall and ugly, crooked door frames don’t sit quite right in our grey matter. We love 90° angles.
However, it would be a mistake to treat cosmetic damage caused by foundation settlement just like cosmetic damage caused by any other source.
Foundation Repair Adds Cosmetic Value
We all know that even a fresh coat of paint can increase your home’s value on the market along with a feng shui interior decorator. Cosmetic eyesores are a nightmare for potential new homeowners who don’t want to spend the time or cash on a remodel.
The truth is: remodels = more cash.
However, here’s the kicker. Remodels implemented before a home with a failing foundation is stabilized are absolutely useless.
- Those cracks you patched up will come back with a vengeance
- Those new cabinets you put in will begin to pull away like the old ones
- The sloped floors you “fixed” with self-leveler will continue to sink
Problems left unattended get worse. Foundation failure can take a huge bite out of your home’s value by cosmetic issues alone. So, if you don’t want to rinse-and-repeat remodels from here into eternity, we suggest foundation repair.
Remodels can add significant value to your home. A bathroom remodel can add 5% to your home’s total value and a full kitchen remodel can add an additional 5%. If your home is worth $300,000, that’s an additional 30k in your pocket for those two remodels.
Fix your foundation once and for all, then remodel. That way you have a double return on your investment: for structural integrity and cosmetics.
And, if you choose to repair with Dalinghaus Foundation Inc., our lifetime warranty is transferrable upon the sale of the home – locking that equity into place forever.
Foundation Repair Adds Warranty Value
Many foundation repair companies offer warranties. Here at Dalinghaus Construction Inc., we offer a lifetime warranty that is transferable upon sale or inheritance.
Meaning, if you choose to have your foundation repaired through Dalinghaus, you not only increase your home’s value – you lock it into place.
We will repair your push pier and helical pier systems for free. This could be a top-selling point in selling a home recently repaired.
Choose Dalinghaus for Your Foundation Repair Needs
Here at Dalinghaus Construction, Inc.: we respect your time. We tailor-fit your home’s repair plan to meet your unique needs.
Dalinghaus Construction Inc. can help you fix your sinking foundation once and for all with helical pier, push pier, and polyurethane underpinning.
We do foundation underpinning the right way. With over 100 years of combined experience and 4.9 stars out of over 300 reviews – we are here to ensure that you never settle.
If you live in SoCal or Arizona and would like a FREE foundation inspection, click the link below –
2 Responses
Thank you so much for talking about foundational cracks and why they’re so problematic. I saw a few of these in my basement just a few days ago, and I felt like those are going to be issues down the line. Now that my suspicions are backed up, I’ll hire a foundation expert as soon as possible so we can get that worked on immediately.
Thanks for helping me understand how ignoring the cracks in your home’s foundation could worsen and cause irreparable damage. I like your idea to seek a reputable foundation repair company to patch up these issues and boost the home’s value. I’ll be sure to consider your advice if I need this someday in the future.