Foundation wall anchor questions

Homebuyer
1

Hey all, saw a house today listed at 150k. Once in the basement, found out there’s a horizontal craxk with a varying 1-4 inches of bowing that runs the entire length of it (maybe 40ft?). The entire wall definitely needs anchors put in and that wall is completely under dirt on the other side. Unfortunately, it’s also the only side of the house that we could ever add onto if we wanted to expand.

Can you build over wall anchors? How far can they place them out? How quickly does a repair like that need to happen? (Obviously soon but as a first time buyer, I’d need at least a year to get together the funds, will it make it through the winter?)

We’re working with the agent to find a company to come in and inspect before we move any further but is this something we should just give a big nope to?

The house is geographically the only one in our price range that works right now (for this obvious reason), but looking out to cheaper areas would take my commute to an hour each way vs. 25 minutes. Should we just keep renting?

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2

HARD Pass.

You would need a structural engineer to tell you just how bad that horizontal crack is going to cost in repairs (a lot) and if the home is even habitable during repairs if they are even able to make then and warranty the work. This involves lots of permits and inspections with the city.

Maybe the house is unsafe right now if the wall is bowing inward.

If this wasn’t disclosed, the listing is not trustworthy.

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3

Big red flag. A 1-4 inch bowing on a 40ft wall is pretty serious, and foundation issues are never cheap. You can technically build over wall anchors, but it might limit future expansion. The anchors need to be installed ASAP, though waiting a year could make things worse, especially with winter. It’s good you’re getting it inspected, but be ready for a hefty repair bill. If this is the only house in your price range and it’s already got major issues, it might be worth rethinking or holding off until something better comes up.

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