[tiger07]

i just relocated from north carolina to CT and have been in the market for buying houses since last 2 months. i finally found the house, which i like but found out that the basement of the house had water in 2006. Today they have the sump pump in the basement with water in the hole of the sump pump only 2" below the floor.

1. Is it normal to have water in the basement in west hartford area?
2. Is it normal to have water level in the sump pump hole barlely 2" below the basement floor?
3. can the basement be flooded again with the sump pump?
4. Is this a good house worth buying or should i just move on to the next house?

[JayCT]

I do not know if it is common to have water in the basement in West Hartford, but the home I grew up in had a water problem and a sump pump and we had no problems. The pump is there to keep the ater from reaching a level where it will flood your basement. We never stored anything of value down there and the furnace was raised. You might want to have a second pump in case the one you already has goes on you. Good luck, Jay

[wanderintonc]

I would not buy it. You won't be able to use the basement for anything except storage, and then only on raised platforms. I think it would maybe get that 'musty basement' smell too. My parents' basement does. Yuck.

[BagongBuhay]

Originally Posted by wanderintonc

I would not buy it. You won't be able to use the basement for anything except storage, and then only on raised platforms. I think it would maybe get that 'musty basement' smell too. My parents' basement does. Yuck.

I don't believe that water in the basement is normal for homes in West Hartford. If there is a sump pump in there, then the place is prone to flooding. There are certain homes south of Farmington Ave east of Troutbrook that have a tendency to flood in strong rains like the areas around Butterfly Restaurant (Outlook, Bishop, etc.) and certain intersections south of Asylum east of Troutbrook, but the latter ones have clear drains that pretty much catch the overflow. You may have water buildup on the roads but have not heard our friends complain it actually made it to their basement.

Too bad you missed my house!

[tiger07]

thank you for the responses.... I just want to make sure that we are on the same page....as I mentioned earlier, there was water in the basement in 2006, right now there is no water in the basement, but the water is only 2" below the floor in sump pit.

would you still recommend not to buy the house.

[BagongBuhay]

I would recommend to move on to another house. Don't buy the house.

[wanderintonc]

Originally Posted by tiger07

thank you for the responses.... I just want to make sure that we are on the same page....as I mentioned earlier, there was water in the basement in 2006, right now there is no water in the basement, but the water is only 2" below the floor in sump pit.

would you still recommend not to buy the house.

I still would not-if there is a sump pump, that means they have had problems with water, and enough problems to warrant a sump pump. I'd take it as a red flag, and cross this house off my list.

[DanBev]

I had sump pump in basement in Denver and had full finished basement,2 br bath wet bar family room,no problem,no nothing negative.Had an alarm on it in case pump failed.In East Windsor,Ct,same no problem.I would check out history of property.

[JayCT]

I wouldn't let a sump pump stop me from buying a home I really liked. JMHO Jay

[AmyBergquist]

Hi Tiger07,

What did your Realtor advise that you do? You might want to speak with a home inspector or a basement waterproofing company about the issue.

I am a Realtor working in West Hartford and, honestly, water is very common in basements in West Hartford. It's good that the sellers disclosed it and have done something to fix future issues.

I would recommend discussing your concerns with your real estate agent. They should be able to put you in contact with professionals that can address your questions. Good luck! And don't worry, if this house doesn't work out, there will be others to choose from, we're just starting to move into the spring market.