Buying a home is by no means a cheap and cheerful process. For the tens and hundreds of thousands of pounds that are going be invested, buyers want to be sure that they’re getting as much value for money as possible and more and more people are enlisting structural engineers to assess potential purchases before committing.
If you’re planning on selling your home, an engineer’s report could ultimately seal a deal or leave it dead in the water. Fortunately you can minimise the risk by identifying the most common issues that crop up in these evaluations and rid your home of any damage that may put the sale at risk with the help of your own structural engineer.
Roof Damage
The roof that protects your home battles an onslaught of extreme weather and conditions such as rain and snow. Because of this, they are prone to leaks and cracks. A potential buyer probably won’t see this as a good sign, especially if they don’t have the time, resources or patience to rectify the issue themselves.
Small holes and gaps can be plugged if you catch them before they become a significant problem and cracked tiles and shingles are easily replaced in most cases. If damage has gone too long undetected, it could have turned into leakage issues that you’ll have to spend a lot more time and money to sort but most competent professionals should be able to easily address the problem.
Cracked Walls and Sticking Doors and Windows
As well as being aesthetically off-putting, cracks in walls may be an indication of underlying subsidence problems. The same can be said for doors and windows that stick and have become difficult to open or close. Most cracks are harmless but a structural engineer will be able to determine whether they are a sign of subsidence.
Subsidence remediation and traditional underpinning can be time and money consuming but the alternative to this, resin injections, can be completed at a lower cost and in a quicker timeframe. It doesn’t need to be stated either, making insurance easier to attain, resulting in a more sellable home.
Thirsty Plants Too Close to the Building
We’ve all dreamed of a beautiful garden full of green life and trees but too many can have an adverse impact on your foundations and in turn can be flagged on a structural engineer’s report.
Plant roots are always looking for moisture and if the soil that foundations are built on is in danger of being drained, you could be at risk of uneven settlement and cracks in walls. A plant specialist will be able to advise on the right course of action for a specific tree or plant and give you information on how best to carry this out.
Uneven Floors
Sloping and uneven floors are suggestive of foundation problems and are not at the top of most buyers’ wish lists. A structural engineer will be able to assess the building and decipher whether or not these floors are compromising the building.
If it is found that foundations are unaffected, you may be able to get away with leaving them as they are. On the other hand though, you may again find yourself having to carry out foundation repairs, either with underpinning or injections.
Poorly Maintained Drains
Another common issue and another contributor to subsidence is drains that have been adequately maintained. Blocked or leaking drains or pipes can chip away at several parts of your home including foundation soil, walls and floors, wreaking havoc if left long enough.
You could find yourself repairing or replacing drainage systems but this shouldn’t be anything too tricky for an expert to deal with once they’ve found the source and severity of the problem.
Carrying out the Works
While you may feel that hiring a structural engineer is a waste of time or money, you could essentially be preparing your home for the better and priming it for an eventual sale.
You’ll even have an up to date engineer’s report that means a potential buyer can instantly see the state of your home and convince them that this is the perfect place to set up house.
Any works that need carrying out, whether it’s resin injections or drainage and roof repair are better being done by you. It may seem like an unnecessary expense at first but you could be increasing the likelihood of a quick sale without having to lower your asking price because of previously unidentified problems and in most cases, can make your money back and more.
