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Think about how moist anything you store in the basement will be. Photos and delicate materials could get ruined or at the very least, mildewy. The damp smell is no fun to live with and mold can be quite harmful. I lived in a house with a slight dampness problem in the bathroom and was always on mold patrol. It was a 1920's bungalow and the walls were plaster so they really were pretty durable but still - it was not a fun thing to do. I now live in a hot, humid environment and the bugs get bad enough without standing water in the yard. I can't imagine how horrible they would be if I had water issues.
Think about how moist anything you store in the basement will be. Photos and delicate materials could get ruined or at the very least, mildewy. The damp smell is no fun to live with and mold can be quite harmful. I lived in a house with a slight dampness problem in the bathroom and was always on mold patrol. It was a 1920's bungalow and the walls were plaster so they really were pretty durable but still - it was not a fun thing to do. I now live in a hot, humid environment and the bugs get bad enough without standing water in the yard. I can't imagine how horrible they would be if I had water issues.
I would pass on the house...
Have to say I agree - one thing if there were no systems in place re basement to reduce/eliminate mold, but with standing water/soggy backyard? Many diseases can be caused (such as West Nile) due to standing water. I'm not sure I'd put good money into something that could potentially cause a lot of grief and potentially health issues. Mold in the house, mosquitoes drawn to standing water/soggy backyard? Unless this was just a short-term 'seasonal problem' and/or seller was willing to mitigate the issues, I'd pass too.
I'm in upstate NY, probably about 2hrs east of you and our area has a high water table. Most of the homes here have sump pumps which are not a big deal at all. My own home has a sump pump and it has water in it all year long, but it only kicks on for about 1-2 weeks in the spring when the ground thaws. The homes in my area are all built around wet lands, so it's expected the grounds may be soggy. I do sometimes end up with a little pond in part of my backyard, but that too only lasts around 2 weeks. It's in the woods, so it doesn't bother me. My basement is dry. No musty smell or mold. We also have a backup sump pump. There were tiles installed under the foundation to drain any water to the sump pump.
With that said, the house you describe seems a bit too wet even for me. My problem would be that you said there's actually water on the basement floor. There could be alot of difference in construction quality and water should not actually be on the basement floor. To me, whatever they have is not working and it could just be the ground is too wet. Even if you plan on not using the basement, the smell could come in to the rest of the house through the vents.
I've been to a few musty homes in my area and I would definitely stay away from a home with that kind of water problem. People around my area are used to homes with sump pumps and a little seasonal sogginess, but they are also very aware of potential problems. You could lose a lot of potential buyers if you were to resell in the future. However, if you are aware and can accept the risks, then the home may be fine for you.
Thanks for the replies. But what are the reasons why you wouldn't consider such house?
The high cost and hassle of correcting the problem. If it were just the basement that were wet, that's one thing. I had a house with a leaky basement, and all it took to fix was a new gutter system.
But you're looking at a basement that's wet despite drain tiles and a sump pump, plus standing water in the yard. Too much for me!
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