Ahhh. Lucky number 13.
I always wonder why anyone buys a house that has fundamental problems like crumbling foundations or less than legal headroom in the 2nd floor. I see this all the time. Then to make matters worse, I have no idea why they will then spend a considerable amount of money cosmetically renovating this property.
About 12 months ago a customer was interested in a duplex by the U of M. This building had been completely renovated down the to studs with new wiring, furnaces, siding, plumbing, and nice interior finishes. We thought this was too good to be true. When we did the inspection, we found that you could literally pull the foundation blocks out with your hands. The contractor estimated the house needed to be jacked up, dug out and a new $50,000 foundation installed!
Just the other day I got a call from a friend of mine who said he knew a guy that wanted to sell his duplex he just renovated in Saint Paul. He was selling it non-MLS for $90k and it generated $1600 per month in rent. I spoke to him on the phone and he said he had installed new furnaces, re-sided the house, installed new windows, a new sewer main, new electrical and all interior cosmetics. I figured for $90k this could probably be a good opportunity.
I am sure you can see where this is going! I go into the downstairs unit, which was vacant. As I walk around, I am getting this strange sensation of vertigo. I feel like I am walking uphill. Well I was! The entire building is probably 4 inches out of plumb. In other words, the entire building is leaning 4″-6″ to the west. Here are some pictures I shot.
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- The door is square. See how far out of square the hallways is from top to bottom of door!
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- The cabinets are level. See how far the ceiling drops?
There were no camera tricks used in the making of this article!
2 comments
#1MN First Time Home Buyers infoFebruary 2, 2010, 9:54 am
Wow, I can’t even look at that door–it makes me dizzy!
I saw a house in Hopkins that was about 100 years old that looked very similar to this. Totally updated cosmetics (floor, cabinets, paint, fixtures, etc.) but the house was clearly leaning out of plumb all over the place and the floors were crooked as well.
#2MN HousesAugust 20, 2010, 11:26 pm
This is a classic example of “houses are like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get ON THE INSIDE”! I always make a point with my buyers to inspect the center support footings in the basement, as well as the foundation walls even if the structure seems perfectly normal on the upper floors. Thanks for the fun article!
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