Home inspection on a house built in 2004 found water stains in a corner of basement. Ask seller to fix ?

Question

we(buyers) found some water stains on a corner of a basement wall. Should we ask the sellers to fix it ? The home inspector said that most likely it is the lack of down spout extension that is the cause of the stain. We like this house but we are little nervous about this water stain in basement wall.It could be a simple one or a big one. Should I ask the seller to put this in writing ?

Answer 1

I agree with DJ B -- ask the sellers about the stain. We noticed a patch in the ceiling and asked about it, concerned about water. It turns out the homeowner misstepped in the attic and fell through!
That being said, in many areas of the country, it is becoming a buyers market. That means you are more likely to get concessions from the sellers than you would have 2 or 3 years ago. The home inspector is an impartial party, so I would tend to believe him/her.

Answer 2

Hold on before you ask the Sellers anything. Think.

First, realize that you have a Contract where you are agreeing to buy the house that you THINK it is, but the Sellers are selling whatever the house really is. The Inspector's job is to tell you the difference. Now you realize there may be a difference.

Back to the Contract. Assuming it allows for the inspection contingency, your next step is to put the Seller on notice of the deficiency. Send them a full copy of the report, and specifically note which points concern you. If it only allows you to make the inspection, but specifically says "As-is", you don't have a lot of leverage. However, put them on notice anyway, but DO NOT demand a fix, threaten to back out, or even ask what they know about it. Just tell them what you found, and proceed to the next step.

Now, before you talk to the Sellers about the solution, get some specific expert advice, as in get a quote from someone who fixes this problem. Have him explain exactly what is wrong, and how long it will take to fix, what has to be done, and the estimated cost. Without that, you are both negotiating in a vacuum. If you know that going into the negotiation, you have power, because you understand the problem fully.

Having the estimate, consider what is called your BATNA; "Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement". What if the Seller holds firm and says "take it or leave it"? What if they offer to split the cost? You have to decide whether or not this problem is a deal-breaker, and know whether or not the Contract says you forfeit your deposit if this kills the deal.

Once you do all that, you're ready to talk to the Seller. If you just take the inspection and say "what are we going to do about this problem?", you are not prepared for when they say "Nothing". Prepare.

Answer 3

Fix the water stains? Or fix the down spouts? Down spout extensions are cheap, I cannot see a seller balking at that. But to fix a water stain, they are painting the wall, which really doesn't address the problem.

What are you wanting the seller to put in writing? What does the property disclosure say? If they put in the property disclosure that there is no water problems, you have that in writing. But if they disclosed a problem and the subsequent correction, you can question this, request to see the bills, etc..

Answer 4

i latterly observed some photos of a twelve months previous homestead that had mildew and shape flaws. i'm particular that the contractor did not intentionally forget to attach the bathe drain to the plumbing, yet none the less, the bathe were draining into the flow slowly area for almost a year. Get a replica of the inspector's document and contact the inspector. maximum have practise approximately what's inflicting the undertaking and could talk it with you. they shouldn't grant "guesstimates" on how a lot it ought to value to repair, yet many inspectors are very candid approximately the place you stand. it ought to prefer more suitable drainage, which will or is probably not a super problem. maximum inspectors have a moisture meter which could be certain the share of moisture in the wall. That quantity would desire to be quite low (20ish in my section) and which would be certain if this became an previous problem that has been corrected, or something ongoing.

Answer 5

You could ask the seller's about it as well. The inspector may be correct in his assumption, it probably needs gutters. Ultimately it is your decision to purchase or not. But keep in mind, all existing homes have issues, you are not going to find the "perfect" home. Good Luck!

Answer 6

Cover your ..... Make sure to get a copy of the seller's disclosure. If they refused to disclose the problem, if there is one, they may still be liable to pay for damages in the future.
Best thing to do is to talk to a lawyer, and find out what your rights are for your area.

Answer 7

Oh yes. Everything must be noted before the sale. The home inspector should had found this fault.