Beware the Sloping Yard
Interested in a house with a sloping yard?
If it slopes the wrong way, you might end up with pooling water around your foundation and that is a real mess in the making.
The House on The Hill
A house on a hill can have a nice view.
It can have a nicely sloping yard. Both of these things can be good things, or they can be bad, depending on how the yard is graded.
When you’re shopping for your home, look out for:
- The yard sloping towards the house
- The neighbor’s yard draining off on to the property
- Water pooling anywhere – especially against the foundation
- Signs of erosion – soil washing away
- Damp, spongy earth, when it hasn’t rained in a while
All of these might – emphasis on might – indicate the house has some drainage problems.
It Rains Hard in Austin, Texas
If you live here, you know about the rain.
It either doesn’t, or it does. And when it does, it rains hard. Really. Hard.
When we get one of those torrential Texas downpours, the water can’t be absorbed fast enough by the land, and the water has to go somewhere. It can go in the street, in the storm drains, or if you’re unlucky, into your yard and up against your house.
When you buy your home here in Austin, make sure you have a licensed home inspector inspect the home. If he or she sees signs of a water problem (or if you or your Buyers Agent do), you can investigate further before you proceed to buy the home.
About Alison
