Is your dream house on stumps? Here’s what you need to know.
So, you’ve seen that beautiful Queenslander house on stumps and are going to the open inspection. You love the thought of relaxing on the balcony, taking in the far-reaching views. There’s plenty to be excited about, but don’t forget the stumps under the house that hold you there. Without healthy stumps, that view can become a nightmare.
Why are stump houses necessary?
You have picked out the perfect block, the perfect house, a ground-level modern family home. Then you see with a shock that every other house on the block is raised on stumps. You are considering building on a flood plain, a block close to a river or significant water source, or uneven land. Either way, a ground-level home would be a risk to health and wellbeing and almost impossible to insure. You want the area, so you consider buying an established stumped home instead.
What should you look for to identify a stump house with stump problems?
You can look for obvious signs in all stumped homes to identify if repairs or replacements are required. When at an open inspection, feel the floor as you walk. A dead giveaway of possible trouble is springy or uneven flooring. Less obvious signs are:
- Windows that don’t open or close easily because the frame is not square.
- Cracks in the interior walls.
- Gaps where the ceiling and the wall meet.
When looking at the home’s exterior, check for overgrown gardens near the stumps, gaps to infill cladding placed between the stumps, cracks in the external walls, and objects against the stumps that can act as superhighways to pests like termites. If you can see the stumps, visually inspect them for wood rot, rust, and concrete cancer where the internal steel reinforcing within the stumps is starting to rust and the concrete is cracking around it.
What your building inspector will look for with a house on stumps
A professional should check for subtle signs by conducting a thorough underfloor inspection, even if there are no other red flags. Raise any issues you have spotted, and the inspector will also look for:
- Concrete spalling – where the concrete is cracking and blowing out, revealing that there is corrosion of the steel reinforcing within the stumps.
- Wood rot and apparent termite damage to timber stumps.
- Incorrect installments – such as lack of stump bracing and missing stump tie down brackets.
- Ant caps – checking they are correctly placed and all are accounted for.
Purchasing a home that soon after requires restumping can be an expensive and heartbreaking repair if you are not expecting it. So be prepared and informed when considering a stumped house as your future home. You can find out more about the costs and considerations of restumping here.
With over 30 years of experience and hundreds of five-star reviews from happy customers, you can be confident that Andrew will ensure the foundations of your potential dream home do not become a nightmare.
