The House Won’t Fall When The Bones Are Good
Listen to Steve Bauer as a guest on Inside Real Estate | CJME
The House Won’t Fall When The Bones Are Good
The House Won’t Fall When The Bones Are Good
Segment One
Overview of the audio clip below:
- Special guest Steve Bauer from AAA Solid Foundation
- Lori runs into foundation issues a lot with clients – buyers or sellers. Sellers want to show Lori their Renos, but Lori will get a sense that they’ve missed something… the floor has a hump, there is a giant crack in a basement wall… She appreciates the Renos done, but without addressing the structure, it’s going to affect resale. Before getting to the listing part of it, she will call Steve to come to look at it.
- Take care of the underlying foundation issues
- Before listing, Lori knows this is going to be an issue for other buyers and inspectors. She will call in Steve for his expert opinion.
- Steve sees varying degrees of sloping in homes. There are levels of work you can do to address the situation. IE tele-post adjustment to get rid of a hump in the floor.
- Extreme dryness = some homes dropped 8 inches.
- People don’t always notice because they’ve been living in the home so long; they’ve gotten used to it.
- The advantage of working with Lori is that she has the contacts for trusted experts in all real-estate industries.
- Buyers’ story – 1st time home buyers are usually nervous. Lori is guiding them through homes. The area this buyer wants is a known “problem area” in Regina for basement work needed. When they’d walk in, they felt like they were in a funhouse – the buyer described the house by “3 beers in” or “6 beers in” based on how much the house was shifting. Either find a home that doesn’t have structural issues or be prepared to fix the issue.
- Sellers – Cosmetic details are important too! Ask your experts like Lori and Steve about what adjustments can be made on cosmetics that will help increase ROI on your home.
- Renos can snowball… start with the kitchen, then the bathroom, then another room. Perhaps you should price it according to the condition it is in now. Save yourself money in the long run since your Renos might not appeal to buyers.
- The Regina market is still busy. Lots of buyers, lots of sales, lots of competing offers.
- Tip: Have a conversation with the bank or mortgage broker prior to getting into the market so you know what you can afford and be approved for.
The House Won’t Fall When The Bones Are Good
The House Won’t Fall When The Bones Are Good
Segment Two
Overview of the audio clip below:
- Steve Bauer – Lori’s structural expert joins the show.
- Lori calls Steve whenever there is a structural problem. He’s been doing this for decades, works with great engineers, has a professional crew.
- Drought has an extreme effect on structure, just like extreme flooding/high moisture levels can have extreme effects on the structure.
- 99% of structural issues can be repaired. People panic when they see a crack, but most basements in Regina are cracked. You’re not alone.
- Small fixes people can do: IE adjusted teleposts, parging to patch cracks…
- The best route to go is to get an engineer
- People are skeptical about buying homes. Banks and credit people really focus on making sure the structure is good. If the house has sunk 3-4 inches, experts are needed.
- When soil is wet = causes lateral movement because soil pushes in. Dry = sinking, vertical movement.
- Tips – Wet? shovel your snow, make sure your downspouts are out, proper drainage away from the house. Dry? water your foundation. Keep an eye on sidewalks/driveways shifting.
- Tips for being on the market – price accordingly so you’re competitive in this market. Prices are holding. More inventory is on the market now, so less hectic for buyers. Still competing offers to happen. When you hire Lori, you’ll have a true expert with experience providing you with the best advice to bring you top dollar.
- Be reasonable – don’t shop at the top end of your budget. Stay within your comfortable range.
- Financing Tip – Some people will get pre-approved for 90 days, and on day 60 will buy a truck… now you have a financing issue.
- Steve and Lori work together in unison. Working together for 20 years. If you’re looking for renovations – It’s nice to create a deluxe chef’s kitchen, but you need to address the underlying structure. AAA Solid Foundation will provide you with the best options for your ROI on your structure.