The Moment of Truth in Home Buying
Posted Sep 15, 2008 @ 7:01 pm, Viewed by 279 Visitors, Read 291 Times.
Most buyers know this is the house they are going to buy as soon as they walk through the door. You can see the look on their face and the emotions they exhibit as they go from room to room. They will begin conversations on placement of the furniture and plans to paint, carpet and other changes that will make this house their home. Things are looking up. The search appears to be over. The only detail to consider is the basement. That is when you hear the drum roll in your head. What will you find in the basement?Many deals are made or broken based on the condition of the basement.
What is the next step when you find the perfect house but questions arise based on the condition of the basement? It all depends on what you find in the basement. If it is limited to signs of moisture on the walls it may be a simple problem to correct. The solutions may range from adding a dehumidifier or painting the walls with a high quality sealer to thousands of dollars in foundation and drain tile repair. The problem may be caused by down spouts that do not drain far enough from the foundation, clogged gutters or poor drainage on the lot.
Other signs to look for in a basement are cracks in the walls. Do the cracks represent a major or minor problem? Are they step cracks or horizontal cracks. Do the basement walls show any signs of shifting? Can the cause of shifting be identified?
These are questions that should be addressed by a state licensed Inspector. An inspector can assess a problem and may recommend a simple solution or the aid of an expert in foundations such as an engineer or company specializing in foundations. At times there may appear to be no noticeable problems with a basement but an inspector may observe signs of a pending issue that will require additional maintenance to avoid future problems.
Most people think of an inspector as a person that tells you if a property is in good or poor condition. This is only part of the inspection. A large part of an inspection is to instruct the buyers on everyday maintenance issues that will help protect the value of the property for years to come by avoiding costly repair issues. Many of the problems seen in properties may have been avoided if simple low cost preventative measures were taken before a minor problem turned into a major concern. An inspection is one of the greatest learning opportunities a buyer will encounter in the home buying process.
Feel free to contact me for a list of state licensed inspectors that I have worked with.
Dennis Herman
Realty Executives Menomonee Falls
Finding and selling homes at the speed of the Internet
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