Properties with corrected structural issue worth consideration?

[Sophia Wang]

We have been back and forth on this one, and I am really not comfortable making a decision on this without consult the community here at BP.

The subject property is a SFH built in year 1900 in a historical area of the town. The house is at a very good location, and the pricing is quite attractive based on our analysis. HOWEVER, the agent indicates there was settlement issue, and it has been corrected in the last 10 years and verified by structural engineer.

We can feel the settlement issue while checking out the house, especially in one room, the windows and doors are not aligned, and the floor is most certainly tilted. Our agent feels it is something we should get a structural engineer to check out during inspection period should we put forward an offer.

Our concern is that once a house has settlement issue, how reliable is the correction previously put in place? What if the house keeps settling in the future? Also, we have never worked with a structural engineer before, what is the process like having a structural inspection? Do they need to tear open things to inspect? How much usually a structural inspection would cost?

Thank you very much in advance!