Sump pumps? Why?

[Siobjuan]

What is more important is the lay of the land. If you are at the bottom of a geological bowl and you don't have a sump pump, you will regret it. If you are at the top of middle of a hill, than chances are you are good to go. Use common sense. If there are cracks or water damage visible to the eye, you can see or smell mold or damp spots, you wil more than likely need a pump and dehumidifier. Get a home inspector and go with them. Ask these questions as you go.

[DaltoBoston]

Thanks all, talking to neighbors, they told that in their 36 yrs they have stayed they had water come into the house only three times after way too much rain and after installing sump pumps they never had problems, including after the winter of '10. They had a finished basement too.

[J.M.M]

You would probably have to lay down some money if you wanted to finish the basement. But people suggesting that it is any reason to run from the house is ludicrous.

[kingeorge]

You run if there is any evidence that foundation is like a sieve. No amount of sump pump can fix that.
If we talking of a basement that will not get any seepage at all, or very little here and there, that is more manageable but still PITA. As a buyer you do depend on other people histories and truths about the house, so be careful, and when in doubt get an outsider's, objective opinion (that guy that your RE agent is sure can help you, is not kind of guy I talk about here).
Be proactive in checking for mold--seriously checking for it.
I know people who bought perfectly great house in the great place with little seepage and sump pump (basement was least of their worries, as it turned out). Later when they had a kid, and as their baby got bit older and had respiratory issues, they found out that they have mold in the house and had no clue it is their "family member". As all new parents do, they made sure there is no lead.
Many realtors are still in the bubble mindset here in MA, and love to hurry up young buyers. If you are buying for long term, caveat emptor. Knowledge is power.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by kingeorge

You run if there is any evidence that foundation is like a sieve. No amount of sump pump can fix that.
If we talking of a basement that will not get any seepage at all, or very little here and there, that is more manageable but still PITA. As a buyer you do depend on other people histories and truths about the house, so be careful, and when in doubt get an outsider's, objective opinion (that guy that your RE agent is sure can help you, is not kind of guy I talk about here).
Be proactive in checking for mold--seriously checking for it.
I know people who bought perfectly great house in the great place with little seepage and sump pump (basement was least of their worries, as it turned out). Later when they had a kid, and as their baby got bit older and had respiratory issues, they found out that they have mold in the house and had no clue it is their "family member". As all new parents do, they made sure there is no lead.
Many realtors are still in the bubble mindset here in MA, and love to hurry up young buyers. If you are buying for long term, caveat emptor. Knowledge is power.

No one is advising not to do due diligence when it comes to a potential water issue. However saying "run for the hills" when there's a sump is equivalent to assuming a neighborhood is high crime because the house has an alarm.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by unit731

A properly constructed foundation does not leak water.

I agree that a basement should not leak water when new. However, after 30-50 years the concrete will have become more permeable because of continued pressure of water from the outside.

So, putting a sump and sump pump in a new house is a good idea.

[capecodcathy]

I wouldn't be so concerned about a sump pump. But, definitely look at the topography as a previous poster stated. That geological bowl could be a problem. I'd also look at the type of sump pump. A friend of mine went through three residential type sump pumps and ended up having to buy an "industrial" pump. She was also advised that it would be foolish to finish the basement.
Your best bet is to get a reputable home inspector.

[SuperSparkle928]

Originally Posted by tickybox

Some of these responses seem odd to me. This is Massachusetts. It's full of older homes, with unfinished basements, and often they take on water during heavy storms. This is not a reason to flip out and reject a house out of hand, or assume it should 'never have been built in the first place'. The homes are still standing after hundreds of years in some cases. Many were built far better than the crap being put up today.

On the other hand, if you want a finished basement, and there is a sump pump down there now, and signs that water has come in previously, then yes, you're probably going to have to spend some cash to do things like put in a french drain, and make sure you have a pump that will continue during a power failure.

There will be other clues, so you don't have just take the agent at their word. Have your inspector tell you if water has come in previously. Look for water marks, and other signs.

Exactly. My parents had a house built on essentially was a former (really) small pond/marsh. Grew up there. With a French drain around the entire perimeter, there was never a drop of water infiltration, and no sump pump was needed. the drain emptied into the sanitary sewer, and though you could hear water running through most of the year, at the sewer into the drain, the basement was always dry. They are expensive to install (especially if the house is already built).
Sometimes the town will step in and pay for running underground culverts.... had a place (very old), where someone had taken a marker pen and drawn where the waterline was 30 years ago, and it was about 5" from the ceiling of the basement. The town put in the underground culverts. There they still have trouble with sinkholes opening up (saw the results of one house that had its front yard disappear), but that is what happens when you have underground streams.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by kingeorge

Sump pump means you are dealing with a house that should have never been built in the location it was built, or a house that was not built right. You are dealing with "damaged goods". Only you can decide on a level of tolerance for such properties.

Which explains why after working at a home improvement retailer for 3.5 years in an area where homes can easily start around 600k that they fly off the shelves during the melting of snow each year. When sump pumps sell out then shopvacs do. I've seen they fly off.

Don't assume that flooding is due to bad design as a overflow can easily come from anywhere. I grew up having a sumppump but frankly it was only used a handful of times. I have a relative that had a finished basement flood just once in the 1990's. Because of that a billiards table was lost that was up there in price.

Some things are worth it for the sense of mind. A decade ago I wouldn't have thought that most of my neighbors would have snowblowers. A few seasons of snowstorms with feet of snow and everyone has one.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

We have two sump pumps -- the old "hole in the basement floor" kind which was original to the house and what must be an industrial one (it's a floor to ceiling pipe that runs underground into the sewer drain, I think?) We do get water occasionally during a very heavy rain/snow melt, but the sump pump only switches on when the water hits a certain level. The last time it did was two years ago during a water main break which flooded the street. My next door neighbor lost most of the contents of his basement Thankfully I didn't.

Geographical point: I live at the bottom of a small hill. My neighbor and I must be at the lowest point of the depression...?