Buying a house with previous water damage (lender, attorney)

[TransnationalElite]

Hey folks,

We're looking at a house which has had water damage in the LL - it is a split entry - due to ground water and/or from bad weather days like really heavy rain or snow.

The sellers say they had the problem about 2 years ago and since they have installed French drains, and a sump pump and some kind of waterproofing system in/around the LL. We did not smell or notice any mold, but the bottom edge of one of the doors in the LL (leading to the stairs going up to entry) had definitely been soaking up a lot of water as it was all swollen and peeling at the bottom end.

I'm looking for advice on what kind of inspection we should have done to determine if the situation is all good or there are still risks. Any inspectors or company you'd like to recommend also welcome!

The LL has been carpeted and freshly painted so we are not able to see what it was like before. Ideally we'd need someone who was willing to investigate a bit.

Many Thanks!

[Cape Cod Todd]

I would be concerned about mold festering within the walls. When the water came in how bad was it? Did the owner hire a crew to take out everything or did they just patch up here and there? Did they pull any permits to do the work and were they closed out?

Was the water a one time thing due to an epic storm/ flood or is it an ongoing problem. They may have remedied the problem by installing the french drains etc.. but maybe not if the problem is say a crack in the foundation.

You could ask the owner who he used to do all the work and then call that company and ask them how bad the situation was and their thoughts.

Could the flooding be caused by a high water table? What does their septic system look like, is it above ground?

Proceed with caution. Good luck

[sal1181]

Have your agent go to town hall and check if any permits were pulled for the work. Ask for receipts proving the work was done as well and call the company. The home inspector will check it and will give recommendations on what can be done

[TransnationalElite]

Well, the sellers agent said that the damage was due to ground water - I've requested the file from the local health department but we'd have to study it ourselves to figure out what it meant.

It didn't occur to me that the septic may have been damaged due to the that too! The septic is 20 years old and had a conditional pass when we first saw it but has been repaired since.

Are there any home inspectors that would do a thorough enough inspection based on our concerns?

[sal1181]

Usually home inspectors are very thorough and most likely they will recommend you getting a second opinion from someone who deals with those types of issues. Home inspectors are usually not allowed to give pricing and say for example the house had mold, lead etc because they are not licensed in that field. Your agent must have a list of trustworthy home inspectors that she or he can recommend

[TransnationalElite]

Just spoke with the Septic company. The leechfield is working fine and they have a new distribution box which should last anything between 10-20 years.

Now, just need to find someone who can pull up carpets and assess water damage or what the situation could have been and how it is now. Been calling around all morning but only getting voicemails REA won't recommend anyone as she's not supposed to.

[sal1181]

Usually for home inspectors if the buyers ask we can recommend a few inspectors. Same thing with recommending the lender and attorney.

[Dm84]

My advice- pass on this house and keep looking. If there are this many issues now, you will probably have to deal with many more in the future.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Dm84

My advice- pass on this house and keep looking. If there are this many issues now, you will probably have to deal with many more in the future.

This

It's one thing to buy a conventionally laid out house where an unfinished basement floods occasionally. You buy a spare sump pump, a generator, install a water sensor alarm, and put all your junk up on pallets, and go on with your life.

With a split, the basement is finished space. If the builder screwed up and you have a split on land with crap drainage, it's a disaster. There is no telling if a retrofitted perimeter drain system will solve the problem. Waterproofing the foundation is pretty much never the miracle cure. Unless they had gravity fed drainage system installed under the concrete floor where you know a rising water table can't possibly flood you, I'd find something without that risk.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by TransnationalElite

Just spoke with the Septic company. The leechfield is working fine and they have a new distribution box which should last anything between 10-20 years.

Now, just need to find someone who can pull up carpets and assess water damage or what the situation could have been and how it is now. Been calling around all morning but only getting voicemails REA won't recommend anyone as she's not supposed to.

That's strange. We're allowed to recommend other professionals, but we have to recommend multiple options. I can't just say "Call Joe. He's the best home inspector out there!"

A lot of these inspectors are small operations and don't have office staff. Keep calling and either your call will be returned or you'll catch someone at the right time.

Originally Posted by GeoffD

This

It's one thing to buy a conventionally laid out house where an unfinished basement floods occasionally. You buy a spare sump pump, a generator, install a water sensor alarm, and put all your junk up on pallets, and go on with your life.

With a split, the basement is finished space. If the builder screwed up and you have a split on land with crap drainage, it's a disaster. There is no telling if a retrofitted perimeter drain system will solve the problem. Waterproofing the foundation is pretty much never the miracle cure. Unless they had gravity fed drainage system installed under the concrete floor where you know a rising water table can't possibly flood you, I'd find something without that risk.

Water intrusion in a finished basement regardless of the style of the house would make me nervous as a buyer. I would definitely do a mold inspection and I would want to see the paperwork from the basement waterproofing company that did the work. If there was a solid guarantee on the work, it would make me feel a bit better.