Selling Your Home Quickly When it Has Structural Problems – Can it be Done?
Selling property can be hard enough with the way things are currently on the housing market. The whole process from start to finish can be very time consuming with lots of issues that can prevent you from moving on from your current home. That’s just when your property is in good condition. You can only imagine how much more stressful it is when your property has structural problems or needs other repairs.
All you really want to do is sell quickly, but no buyer looking to actually move into the property is going to want to buy it quickly. That’s if you sell your property the traditional way through a real estate agency or similar. In the following post, we will look at how you could get around this problem.
First, though, we will discuss what is considered problem properties and the most common structural issues that can hold up sales.
What Are the Most Common Structural Issues?
There are various kinds of issues that come to light either before, during or after a property survey. Some of the most common, though, include:
- Woodworm risks
- Faulty drainpipes
- Roofing issues
- Insulation
- Flat roofing
- Structural movement/subsidence
- Asbestos
- Damp
- Japanese knotweed
- Electrical problems
Selling Your Home When It Has Structural Issues
If your home is an older building, it may likely be suffering from structural issues. It is best, if possible, to deal with these as soon as you find out about them. Property structural problems, as you may have guessed, can range from relatively small issues like cracked walls to more troubling and serious damages like subsidence. What if you are not sure whether you really have structural problems of note or not?
Here are some signs to look out for:
Bulging Walls
Have you noticed that some walls in your property are bulging, bowing or even leaning? This is more than likely a sign that it has deteriorating stability. Heavy traffic passing by and the vibrations it generates often causes this, but it could equally be that the there is insufficient restraint in place between the external walls, there are no floor joists or they have deteriorated over time or the walls are not thick enough.
Sticking Doors and or Windows
Another commonly found issue in older properties is doors and windows jamming and not opening easily. This is normally a result of distortion, which could be an indicator of settling foundation. What do mean by that? The ground beneath your property has started to contract or expand over time.
Windowsill Cracks
Although windowsills having cracks may not appear to be the most serious or biggest issue, it may be an indication that there is a deeper problem. For instance, it may mean that the foundations of your property are failing, that there is actual structural movement or even damp. The best way to get a handle on how serious the issue is, you need to measure the cracks. If they are more than 15mm wide, you need to deal with the problem.
Can You Still Sell a Property with Structural Issues?
The good news is if you don’t have the budget or timescale to make the repairs on your property, but still need to sell it, there is still hope. Contact a company like Cash Home who will; still make a reasonable offer on your property and are ready to buy it quickly, even if it has structural issues.