Things you may not have considered about house restumping
Restumping a property involves jacking up the house to remove and replace rotting or otherwise ineffective stumps. With countless Brisbane properties built on timber stumps, concrete stumps or galvanised steel stumps, defective stumps are a common concern and a must be considered by homeowners and those embarking on property searches across the area.
If you’re thinking about buying a house that needs restumping, it’s especially crucial to consider the full extent of a project like this. To help you do that, we’ve put together 10 top tips that are always worth bearing in mind if your new property needs restumping.
1 – Know what to look for
Even the most robust timber stumps used in Brisbane homes can fail. Therefore any potential homeowner should be on the lookout for tell-tale signs. Signs include visibly uneven floors, decaying property foundations, house stumps sinking and lesser-known warnings such as plaster or brickwork cracks and doors and windows that don’t close properly.
2- Know how to check house stumps
Most Brisbane homeowners could benefit from understanding how to check property stumps. Take a close look by getting down to a property’s foundations and removing any dirt. Taking a close look is essential for understanding the current condition of stumps.
3 – Consider the extent of damage caused
While you might assume that restumping your property will be your only expense, internal damage including sloping floors isn’t unusual because of this problem. Escalating damp issues and sizable wall cracks can also occur. Understanding where or if this damage exists, is vital for ensuring wise spending decisions and preparations for repair.
4 – Be aware of sinister causes
Rot and general damage tend to be common reasons for restumping as is concrete cancer. However, termite damage can also be to blame. Even after restumping a house, failing to mitigate these issues can cause further setbacks.
5 – Contact a building inspector
Where a stump might look perfectly fine to you or cracks in walls look like minor problems, a building inspector will know otherwise. A building inspector’s insights are crucial, even before checking the stump conditions, they can get a sense of what’s going on down under just by what they see upstairs. A qualified building inspector is the best person to report on conditions and offer professional advice (and precautions) regarding restumping and ways to mitigate further problems.
6 – Understand repair costs
The cost of restumping depends on location, property size, access and even soil condition. Costs can quickly escalate as high as $500-700 per stump on top of any internal repairs caused by the failure of the old stumps. Understanding the costs and requirements ensures you’ll offer a price that leaves plenty of money behind for restumping repairs. Don’t forget to consider being displaced for a short amount of time while the restumping is carried out.
6 – Be clear on restumping timeframes
Restumping is a major renovation work that can take as long as five days, and which generally requires a property to be empty. By considering this when buying a house that needs restumping, you’ll be far better able to arrange alternative accommodation and ensure that work starts quickly.
7 – Understand what to look for in a restumping company
Finding a quality restumping company can both reduce costs and ensure high-quality work is completed in the shortest time. Things especially worth considering include reviews, availability, materials used, insurances held and so on. We always advise seeking the services of a restumping and house raising specialist who has a QBCC contractor’s licence.
8 – Think about the clean-up
Moving into a new property can be stressful enough, without often hefty restumping job clean-ups. In large part, seeking a restumping company that clears up after themselves can help to avoid this. It may also be worth waiting to move in while you make sure that everything is clean and ready to go.
9 – Understand longer-term renovation requirements
Even after restumping, longer-term renovation requirements may be necessary. These improvements include replastering, new windows, and the need to replace the flooring. Renovations like these can all add time and disruption to your new house move. Make sure to factor in such repairs before making a property purchase you regret. In addition to this, if you’re considering raising the house at the same time as restumping because you’d like some living space downstairs, it’s important to refer to the Building Code of Australia for the standard ceiling height for habitable rooms. Any rooms with a ceiling height below the standard mean you cannot call them a habitable space when you decide to sell.
10 – Be honest with yourself
It’s also crucial that you’re honest with yourself about your ability to manage work like this. After all, renovation isn’t for everyone, and restumping can be an extreme improvement process. Make sure that you’re prepared to handle that, and that you understand the ongoing maintenance required when living in a Brisbane property with stumps.
Even properties that need restumping can be fantastic investments and work so well into Brisbane’s lifestyle. The key is to identify the need, assess secondary damage and understand what’s involved in buying a house that needs restumping so you know if it’s a worthwhile move for you.