Is it okay to keep living in your current home? Checking the condition of your home beyond just its age
In the article above, we categorized concerns about homes into four areas:
“buying,”
“continuing to live in,”
“building,”
and “repairing.”
In this article, we will organize how to check the current condition of your home for those who
“want to know before continuing to live in it.”
The important thing is not to immediately decide
“whether to rebuild,”
“whether to reinforce,”
or “whether it is better to sell.”
First, we will think about what you need to know about your current home to make an informed decision.
We will start from there.
Whether you should continue living in your home is not determined solely by its age
When receiving consultations about homes,
I sometimes hear comments like,
“Is it dangerous now because it is 40 years old?”
“Should I rebuild because it is an old house?” “I am hesitant about whether to keep living in my parents' house.”
Of course, the age of the building is an important guideline.
As it gets older, concerns about deterioration and seismic resistance arise.
However, the condition of a home cannot be determined by its age alone.
There are houses that are 50 years old but
have been properly maintained.
On the other hand,
there are houses that are 20 or 30 years old that suffer from roof leaks, termites, or structural problems.
The important thing is not the number of years, but looking at the current condition.
Can I continue living here as it is? Should I repair it? Is seismic reinforcement necessary? Can I make it more comfortable through renovation? Should I consider rebuilding or selling it?
To make that decision, you first need to know the condition of the house.
First, check for deterioration and defects
When considering whether to continue living in your current home, the first thing to look at is deterioration and defects.
A home inspection is useful for this purpose.
In an inspection, you check for roof leaks, termites, cracks in the foundation, deterioration of the roof and exterior walls, and the condition of the crawl space and attic.
When you live in a house, you may get used to some defects.
Stains on the ceiling.
Floors that sink.
Difficulty opening doors or windows.
Cracks in the exterior walls.
A musty, moldy smell.
Even if each one seems small,
they may be linked to building deterioration, roof leaks,
or impacts on the structure.
What is important for continuing to live there
is first knowing what condition your current home is in.
For older homes, you also want to check seismic resistance.
Along with deterioration, another thing to look at is seismic resistance.
Especially for homes built before 1981.
Wooden houses built before 2000.
Homes that have undergone major renovations in the past.
Homes where walls or pillars may have been removed.
For such homes, it may be better to consider including a seismic diagnosis.
A seismic diagnosis checks the structural strength of the building.
It evaluates how well the building can withstand an earthquake by looking at the amount and placement of walls, the state of deterioration, and the overall balance of the building.
What is important here is not to jump to the conclusion that "it's a bad house because it's old."
There are old houses that can continue to be lived in while being maintained.
On the other hand, there are houses that look clean but have lingering structural concerns.
That is why it is important to judge based on the condition, not the age of the building.
The ground and how the building shakes are also factors for judgment.
Check for deterioration with an inspection.
Check for structural strength with a seismic diagnosis.
Another perspective that can be added to that
is the ground and how the building shakes.
Microtremor measurement is
a survey that measures the small vibrations always present in the ground and buildings,
and confirms how that location or building is prone to shaking.
It is not a survey that destroys the building.
It measures and analyzes the characteristics of how the ground and building shake.
By performing a microtremor measurement on your current home,
Is the land in a location prone to shaking?
Does the building have a tendency to shake in a certain way?
Are there any concerns about the relationship between the ground and the building?
Can it be used as material for considering reinforcement or renovation?
Can it serve as a baseline for checking changes after an earthquake?
You can obtain these materials for judgment.
Microtremor measurement is
not a substitute for inspections or seismic diagnoses.
A survey to look at deterioration,
a survey to look at the structure,
and a survey to look at how it shakes
each have different roles.
If you are unsure, please try organizing your thoughts here first
After reading this far, some of you may still not be sure where to start checking for your own situation.
In that case, please try organizing your situation with the questionnaire first.
By checking the age of the building,
symptoms you are concerned about,
past renovation history,
anxiety about earthquakes,
and your future lifestyle,
it becomes easier to see which survey you should consider first.
Thinking by situation
Even if you plan to continue living in your current home,
the situation varies from person to person.
If you want to continue living as is, the basics are to first check for deterioration and defects.
If there are no major problems, you can see the option of continuing to live there while performing necessary repairs.
If you are considering seismic retrofitting or renovations,
you should consider not only an inspection but also a seismic diagnosis.
Furthermore, if you want to check how the building shakes before and after reinforcement, microtremor exploration can also be a factor in your decision.
If you are torn between rebuilding or continuing to live there,
it is important to know how much work needs to be done on your current home to make it livable.
Rather than choosing to rebuild without knowing the condition,
it is easier to be satisfied with your decision after looking at the possibilities for repairs, reinforcement, and renovations.
Even if you are considering selling or passing it on,
it is meaningful to know the condition of the house.
When you can see where the concerns are and how much needs to be fixed, it becomes easier to think about how to pass it on to the next person.
About estimated costs
Surveys to check the condition of your current home
vary in cost depending on the purpose.
Inspections
generally cost around 60,000 to 100,000 yen.
Seismic diagnoses vary depending on the scale of the building and the content of the diagnosis, but I think it is good to expect around 100,000 to 200,000 yen.
There are also cases where local government subsidy programs can be used.
Microtremor exploration
starts from around 150,000 yen for a standalone diagnosis. For a comprehensive diagnosis that combines ground and building checks, the estimate is around 300,000 to 450,000 yen.
The important thing is not to investigate everything from the beginning.
Do you want to know about deterioration?
Do you want to know about seismic resistance?
Do you want to know about the ground and how the building shakes?
Do you want material to help you decide on reinforcement or renovations?
Once you can see that, it becomes easier to judge the necessary surveys and how to spend the costs.
Finally
Continuing to live in your current home does not mean putting up with an old house.
It means knowing the condition of the house and deciding how to work on it.
How much to fix.
Whether to reinforce it.
Whether to renovate it.
Whether to consider rebuilding or selling.
It is about having those options for yourself.
Inspections,
seismic assessments,
and microtremor surveys
are all materials for making that decision.
What is important is not just to eliminate anxiety.
It is to organize what you want to know, choose the necessary surveys, and make a decision with conviction.