How to Sell Your Chicagoland & Illinois Sinkhole House
What Is a Sinkhole?
Your home is often the most valuable asset in your portfolio, and usually the largest investment as well. What happens if your family home is suddenly damaged by sinkhole activity?
A sinkhole is a localized depression caused by water eating through rock and sediment underneath the ground. Sinkholes can be anywhere from a few to a few thousand feet. In Chicagoland, sinkholes can still strike without warning! In fact, even if the sinkhole is repaired, you may be required to disclose the proximity to any prospective buyers. This can make it even more difficult to sell your property.
What Causes a Sinkhole?
There are three main scenarios that can cause a sinkhole to appear:
- If the base is made of water soluble rocks such as limestone or gypsum
- If the foundation is made up of small rock grains that can be carried away by groundwater deposits.
- Sinkholes can sometimes be caused by above-ground water movements, such as rainstorms or flash floods.
What Are the Signs of Sinkholes?
Sinkholes may appear to strike without warning, but it actually takes months (or even years) for them to form to completion. There are some telltale signs for you to watch out for:
- A wobbly door is one thing, but if you notice that your doors have stopped latching, your windows are swelling, and your cabinet doors and not closing properly, you may have a sinkhole on your hands.
- Noticing new cracks on the walls, as well as around the doors and windows?
- If your ceilings and walls have started to form small gaps, or your floors are bulging, sagging or warping.
- Starting to find water in places it shouldn’t be? Constant leaks during rain and adverse weather may indicate serious foundational problems.
- Changes in the yard, either back or front, can be signs of sinkhole activity. If there are new, unexpected ponds in the vicinity of your home, or sagging fences or trees, this can also be a bad sign.
- Lastly, check for any visible cracking in the pavement or concrete near your home. Cracked chimneys and sinking porches should be monitored.
How to Sell Your Sinkhole Home
The process of selling your sinkhole home can be daunting, but it is not impossible! The first step that you should take is to consult a licensed engineer, who will appraise your property and give you an estimate to fix it. If the damage is not severe, you may be able to repair the damage for under $15,000. In some cases, homeowners in the Chicagoland area have paid between up to $50,000! Unfortunately, even after you repair the damage, there is no guarantee that you will be able to sell your home for an ideal price.
Sell Your Sinkhole Home to a Cash Buyer
If you have a sinkhole problem and you live in the Chicagoland area, you have another option available to you. If you are unable to invest the needed time and resources into your home, call Tony Buys Homes and sell them your home in as little as seven days for cash, guaranteed! The local Chicagoland & Naperville pros at Tony Buys Homes have been buying homes all over Chicagoland & Naperville and beyond since 2011, and there is no location or condition we will not buy your home in! We are not dependent on banks or lenders, so we can buy your sinkhole home in as little as seven days. Call us to schedule a risk-free, no-obligation consultation and we will give you a firm cash offer in as little as two days.
Call Tony Buys Homes at 815-488-6373, or fill out the short form below and we will contact you right away.
