Advice on Retainer Wall

Advice on Retainer Wall

Member since 2018 · 3 posts · 3 votes

Good evening BP,

I think I found a solid deal to house hack a property. This property checks off a lot of what I'm looking for but ran into something I hadn't encountered.  What has been your experience with a property with a Retainer Wall?

Here's some context:

I'm looking at a property that I would put some work into and attract high quality tenants (such as a small family) on the two upper levels while I live in the basement that has a separate walkout.  Originally, the property had a deck but was removed as a tree in the backyard was growing too much. I'm not sure why the original owners didn't just remove the tree instead?  If I decide to purchase the property, I would remove the tree to open up the backyard and lay out flagstone in the backyard and improve its overall appearance. 

Now, the backyard is enclosed by a retainer wall. I don't see any water damage in or around the backyard area but I didn't want to find myself in a bad position if an investment property like this is not a good idea? My understanding is that the HOA is responsible for maintaining the retainer wall, but I wouldn't want to be out of luck should a snow storm or heavy rain damage break it down.

My Real Estate Agent is assuring me that this isn't a problem as it's been professionally installed and the other neighbors have been living with the same retainer wall too.

What has your experience been with a retainer wall? Do you recommend what I should need to ask or investigate further on?

Thank you in advance!!

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  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    7y

    It depends on how big the retaining wall is. Is it 10 feet tall holding back a large hill side or a couple of feet tall where the property next to it is a few feet higher? The property inspector should be able to look at it. Also verify with the HOA as to who is in charge of the wall. If you put in an offer, add a contingency to look at the HOA documents.

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