Question about Foundations

[JJones]

I did an appraisal on a home that was built in 1939, and the home is not built on a foundation, it is actually sitting on stacked concrete blocks. How do you fill out the appraisal form when the home has no foundation and is that even under appraisal guidelines?​

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Why not complete the appraisal? If its secondary market, then you can note the house is on stacked cc blocks. I have seen houses sitting on hewn stone or even native rock. Often the rocks beneath the house are not cemented by at sometime maybe someone plastered cement over the perimeter blocks. Its pier and post sorta construction but its not atypical in very old homes in rural areas of the Ozarks.

 

[Kevin A. Spellman]

The subject’s home is position on concrete pillars and does not have a perimeter foundation. The first level frame is exposed to the earth. This type of foundation was common from the era of constriction, 1939.

In the sales comparison approach us the term concrete block pillars and state the type of foundation of the comparable sales and make an adjustment if warranted.

 

[JJones]

Thank you

 

[Mztk1]

Very common here. I call them Concrete Block Pillars, there are also brick pillars, and even plain pillars that are specifically designed for the job; and I list the space below the house as "crawl". I have the luxury of having comps with a similar foundation all day long, so finding an effect on value is pretty easy and for my neck of the woods, when compared to similar quality houses, the effect is usually $0. But do your best to find a similar foundation, and if that fails, at least a similar quality. The houses tend to e square and of more folksy design, usually a step down from the "average" rating in the M&S, but not always. I've seen good quality, historic houses built that way down here in FLA too.