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Kenmore, WA
Posts: 15388
Joined: Dec, 2003
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[#1] Posted: 08/15/2004 - 12:37:07 PM |  |  |
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Hi Everyone,
You folks are going to love this one. The bolding and underlining are mine. The MLS listing reads:
Price: XXXXXXXXXX Ref: XXXXXXXXXX
Address: XXXXXXXXX, Seattle, WA 98XXX
XXXXXXXXXX Area with...
• 3 Bedroom and 1.00 Bathroom
• Features: Ceiling Fan(s), Dining Room, Double Pane/Storm Windows
• Cable Television, Deck, Fully fenced, Gas available, Outbuildings, Patio, RV Parking, Shop
• Vinyl Floor, Wall to wall carpet
• 1-car Detached Carport
Nice Inviting Entrance
Download Attachment:  CaveDwelling.jpg
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$20,000 PRICE DROP!!! Don't street appraise this one or you will miss out!!! Wonderful Broadview area home and you won't believe the space you'll have. Over 700 sq ft basement that is partially finished. Detached 20x20 bldg w/ it's own furnace, cable, phone, and additional large storage room. Huge kitchen with eating area. Enclosed patio off of the livingroom and a storage shed on the side of the house. Lots of RV parking. The home also has an additional area that could be whatever you want.
This is only the second time that going over the pre-inspection agreement with my clients has taken longer than the actual inspection. While I was doing the PIA, one of the clients mentioned that the home had a "Sort of funky basement that was once a crawlspace and has been dug out." I didn't think much of it, because I see a lot of dugout basements here. However, just as soon as the PIA was out of the way and I walked inside, the realtor said, "Mike, I know you normally save the crawlspace for last, but you might want to check this one out first." One look at the crawlspace access (Photo 1) was that was needed to convince me.
You're going to love these photos. One of the clients told me that the homeowner is very proud of this "basement." Apparently, he's been digging it out, one bucket at a time, since he was a kid.
Photo #1 - State of the art basement entry.
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Photo #2 - Into the bowels of the beast through what turned out to be the old furnace plenum, still lined with fiberglass sound deadening.
Download Attachment: IntoTheBowlsOfTheBeast.jpg
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Photo #3 - Looking backward toward the maw
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Photo #4 - Holy Batcave!
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Photo #5 - I loved the joist spacing
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Photos #6 & #7 - Angle of repose? Comeon, tell the truth, you made that up, right?
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Photo #8 - Why do I need to support the footing? It's concrete fer cryin' out loud. We all know it doesn't crack!
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Photo #9 - A house guest used to live here. How do you like that huge closet? The back wall? Uh, yeah it is dirt. So what?
Download Attachment: NowThatsACloset.jpg
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Photo #10 - See how much storage room there is? When you need more, just hollow out a section of wall. Huh? Oh that. That's a foundation vent. We had no place to put one, so I cut through the footing. Pretty kewl, huh?
Download Attachment: FoundationVent.jpg
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Photo #11 - How do you like the crawlspace beneath the new addition?
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Photo #12 - Aw, a little seepage never hurt anyone.
Download Attachment: SeepageWhatSeepage.jpg
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Photo #13 - That? Oh, that's nothing to worry about. See, when we put the addition on the back of the home we just left the back patio in place. Looks pretty strong to me. I don't think there is any danger it will crack and collapse into this primo basement.
Download Attachment: UndersideOfThePatio.jpg
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Photo #14 - Waddaya mean no resistance to seismic movement. Look at this post. See that post and the primo bracket I welded up to support this 10ft. long section of footing?
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Photo #15 - Hey! that sewer hub has held up for 50 years. So what if the soil supporting it has been taken away. That's concrete holding it together, fer chrissakes and we all know concrete never cracks. Home inspectors,...sheesh!
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Photo #16 - Nice slab edge, huh? The wall? Aw, you don't need any retention there. Look how well it's been holding up. There's only a little bit of erosion this week.
Download Attachment: NiceSlabEdgeDonchathink.jpg
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Photo #17 - Waddaya mean no support under that footing, fer cryin' out loud? It only spans about 6ft. and there's only one load bearing wall above it. Besides, it's concrete fer chrissake and we all know that concrete never cracks!
Download Attachment: WhatFootingSupport.JPG
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Clearwater, Florida
Posts: 141
Joined: Jan, 2003
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Have We Got A Deal For You !!!
[#2] Posted: 08/15/2004 - 1:57:32 PM | | |
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Mike,
I would have thought that with your vast experience of homes that you would have recognised a "Priest Hole" when you saw one 
Regards
Gerry
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Gerry Beaumont
www.nachi.org
education@nachi.org
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Columbus, Mississippi
Posts: 3169
Joined: Dec, 2003
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 Have We Got A Deal For You !!!
[#3] Posted: 08/15/2004 - 2:54:02 PM | | |
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If I'm ever stuck in a prison camp on foreign soil, I want this mole-man in there with me. 
Brian G.
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Austin, Texas
Posts: 414
Joined: Dec, 2003
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Have We Got A Deal For You !!!
[#4] Posted: 08/15/2004 - 6:36:06 PM | | |
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A great place to hide from the NAZIs
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Paul in Austin
www.newdayinspections.com |
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Calgary, AB
Posts: 512
Joined: Jan, 2004
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Have We Got A Deal For You !!!
[#5] Posted: 08/15/2004 - 7:04:40 PM | | |
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OK! Mike
So, I have to ask
What on earth did you tell your client?
AND
Was it with a straight face?
Got to love the features- Gas is available, WOW!
BTW, who's wearing the nitrile gloves?
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RC
www.YourCalgaryHomeInspector.com |
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Sagamore Hills, Ohio
Posts: 3113
Joined: Dec, 2003
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Have We Got A Deal For You !!!
[#6] Posted: 08/16/2004 - 04:34:33 AM | | |
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I find it humourous that someone installed a counter-flow furnace in the basement however, that is the least of the worries.
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Terry
http://www.hlis.net
This space for let - please inquire within.
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Calgary, AB
Posts: 512
Joined: Jan, 2004
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Have We Got A Deal For You !!!
[#7] Posted: 08/16/2004 - 10:30:12 AM | | |
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Too Funny!
Over 700 sq ft basement that is partially finished
So that's the difference between
Finished
and
Developed
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RC
www.YourCalgaryHomeInspector.com |
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Calgary, AB
Posts: 512
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Have We Got A Deal For You !!!
[#8] Posted: 08/16/2004 - 10:51:33 AM | | |
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We use Shotcrete for soil stabilization mostly, I've never seen it used for basements.
We have what we call, dug outs.
I'm located near the city core, an original district with homes built in the early 1900's.
It was a time of railroad, immigrants and no money. Homes (500-750 sf) were built in haste by unskilled workers with recycled lumber; lumber from old railroad cars and leftovers. The majority of them were built directly on river bed gravel with unlimited drainage. They would frame up the floor system on field stones and sometimes backfill between the joist spaces.
The ‘dug out’ was invented to make room for central heating and other modern amenities like the indoor bathroom. Most of our dug outs are serviced by a hatch , steep stairs and are usually around 8 x 10 to accommodate a furnace and hot water tank and the Xmas tree.
Lately, the area has become desirable and people have moved in these old homes to renovate. They lift the house and pour a concrete foundation or use treated wood. Building movers charge between $6,000-$8,500.00.
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RC
www.YourCalgaryHomeInspector.com |
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Rochester, New York
Posts: 4113
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Have We Got A Deal For You !!!
[#9] Posted: 08/16/2004 - 11:26:41 AM | | |
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I've seen Shotcrete used in foundation repairs. They excavate the entire perimeter of the home in one or two stages. Digging out maybe 18 inches or so leaving the house standing on temporary shoring. Then liberalamount of steel is attached to the earthen bank and the shot crete is sprayed on in two or three lifts. After two or three days the house is lowered down to the new foundation and secured.
I don't know how much it costs, but I'd say 50 grand for a 2,000 square foot house would be in the park.
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Chad Fabry
StructureSmart Home Inspection Rochester, NY
www.structuresmart.com
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CaveDwelling.jpg
BasementEntry.JPG
IntoTheBowlsOfTheBeast.jpg
LookingBackAtTheMaw.jpg
HolyBatcave.jpg
LoveTheJoistSpacing.jpg
AngleOfRepose.jpg
AngleOfRepose2.jpg
FootingSupport.jpg
NowThatsACloset.jpg
FoundationVent.jpg
NoThatsACrawlspace.jpg
SeepageWhatSeepage.jpg
UndersideOfThePatio.jpg
YepThatsSeismicSafe.jpg
WeDonNeedNoSewerSupport2.jpg
NiceSlabEdgeDonchathink.jpg
WhatFootingSupport.JPG
