A crawl space or basement inspection can help you avoid big problems.
If you’re buying a home, a crawl space inspection can help you to pinpoint issues before making an offer. If you’re selling a home, you’ll want to think about scheduling a crawl space inspection to avoid unpleasant surprises.
If you find trouble, you may want to consider fixing the problem. A basement repair can pay for itself many times over if you plan to sell your home.
To learn more about buying and selling a home with a wet crawl space or basement, keep reading.
What Are 3 Deal Breakers When Buying a House?
If you’re buying a home, you may have already fallen in love with a property. Nevertheless, you should always hire a professional home inspector before you close the deal. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t buy into a bad situation.
You may have found the most honest seller in the world. However, there’s still the possibility that they’re not aware of problems with their home—or how the problem diminishes the property’s value.
Some buyers are so excited to buy a home that they forget to hire an inspector to take a second look at the property. However, skipping an inspection can cause you to overlook one of the following big deal-breakers.
Deal Breaker 1: Outdated Mechanics
If the property has outdated wiring or plumbing, you can find yourself on the hook for serious crawl space repair costs.
Plumbing leaks can cause wood to rot. What’s more, they can promote mold in the crawl space. Either crawl space repair can prove extremely costly.
Furthermore, outdated electrical wiring can become faulty and start a fire. In a worst-case scenario, a fire can burn down your entire home. At the least, you could end up with an expensive repair bill after the fire.
Deal Breaker 2: Asbestos
At one point, asbestos was a popular building material. However, researchers eventually discovered that it’s extremely harmful to humans.
It can prove challenging and costly to remove asbestos from ceilings and walls. However, flooring asbestos removal is more manageable.
Many old popcorn ceilings were made with asbestos. If you’re buying an older home with popcorn ceilings, you’ll want to have an inspector look it over right away.
Deal Breaker 3: A Bad Crawl Space, Basement or Foundation
Pests, water damage and cracks can all cause significant structural damage to a home. The elements can also put a beating on a structure.
In some instances, a homeowner may not have cared for their crawl space as needed. If so, the property may experience structural damage sooner than expected compared to a properly maintained home.
Mold is another problem that should set off an alarm if you’re buying a home. It can cause serious health problems.
In some instances, however, you can remediate mold easily. If you see these kinds of issues in a crawl space, foundation or basement, you’ll want to hire an inspector to find out if a prospective home is worth the trouble.
Here’s what seasoned realtor Eddie Mann of Nashville Tennessee had to say on the subject…
"The average homeowner doesn’t know a lot about it. It’s important to let buyers know this is their biggest investment and they gotta know what’s going under the house."
Dealing With a Wet Crawl Space or Basement
A wet basement is a huge problem for both buyers and sellers. Whether you’re selling or buying, there are a few things that you want to consider if there’s excessive moisture or water in the basement.
There are distinct signs when a home has a problem with water in the crawl space. The basement that floods will show signs of repetitive water damage.
For example, you may see damaged drywall, wood, or carpet. You might also notice that the items in the basement or crawl space are water damaged.
This kind of moisture buildup makes the structure of a home susceptible to rot. It also promotes mold and dust mites.
Considerations for Buyers
If you’re considering buying a home with a wet basement, you’ll need to think about whether you want to invest in fixing the problem. In some cases, buying a house with a wet basement can present an opportunity.
Of course, you’ll have to deal with the costs and work involved. At the same time, however, you can get a discount on the selling price of the home by taking over the problem.
A wet basement can decrease the value of a home by 10% to 25%. A considerable number of buyers look for homes with these kinds of problems. A home with a wet basement is an opportunity to negotiate a better price.
Considerations for Sellers
From a seller’s perspective, a wet basement will decrease how much you get from the sale. It will also weaken your position when negotiating with prospective buyers.
As a result, you’ll want to consider remedying the issue and installing preventative measures. These measures might include a sump pump and an interior drainage system. You might also want to hire a service provider for the repair who offers a transferable warranty.
Your basement or crawl space may also need a dehumidifier or encapsulation system. These kinds of upgrades will inspire confidence. They’ll ensure potential buyers that the basement or crawl space will stay dry for many years.
Why Should I Have a Professional Home Inspection?
If a home doesn’t have a basement, it will usually have a crawl space. Your crawl space or basement is more than a place to put things. It elevates the base of your house.
Whatever’s in your basement or crawl space can affect the overall health of your home.
Sometimes, homeowners let their property fall into a state of disrepair. When this happens, a crawl space or basement can develop all kinds of problems.
Accordingly, you’ll want to make sure that the crawl space is well maintained before buying a property.
Often, a crawl space inspection is part of the inspection process when selling or buying a home. This part of the inspection is where issues tend to arise. A crawl space inspection with undesirable results can throw a monkey wrench into a sale.
Know What You're Getting Into with a Crawl Space Inspection
Whether you’re selling or buying a home, you should know the state of the crawl space. In doing so, you can mitigate any potential problems before the sale.
If you’re the seller, you want to have your crawl space inspected before putting your home on the market. This way, you can fix any issues before the sale if you desire.
If you’re buying a property, a healthy crawl space is critical for the longevity of your new home. You should also schedule annual inspections so that you can address problems as they arise.
You’ll want to hire a contractor that specializes in crawl space waterproofing for the inspection. An expert crawl space contractor can help you to avoid the risk of basement flooding.
A considerable part of a basement specialist’s work involves fixing substandard crawl space waterproofing work performed by other contractors. With this in mind, you’ll want to hire a certified basement contractor with a well-established reputation.
You can find out more about a potential contractor by checking with the local Better Business Bureau. You can also ask potential crawl space contractors for references.
Your Crawl Space Service Matters
You may find yourself buying or selling a home with a crawl space problem. Here’s where an expert service provider, such as Crawlspace Medic, can help you to resolve the issue quickly and permanently.
We’re experts who focus on finding crawl space and basement-specific issues. We can provide you with the information you need for the best possible resolution.
What’s more, our service providers have an excellent reputation in the community. We’ll never try to coerce you into buying unneeded services with predatory sales tactics. Our goal is to help you fix your crawl space problems correctly the first time.
Working With a Professional Inspector
There are many things that can indicate a problem with your crawl space or basement. For instance, you might notice:
• Cupping floors
• Musty smells
• Poor air quality
• Sloped floors
• Sticking doors
• Sticking windows
Our experts can help you to get to the root of these kinds of problems. If you’re buying or selling a home, an expert inspection can save you a lot of heartache.
We’ll provide you with a comprehensive crawl space assessment. What’s more, we’ll do it fast. As a result, your sale or purchase can move forward quickly.
Trust Crawlspace Medic for Your Next Home Inspection
Now you know more about buying and selling a home with a wet crawl space or basement. Hopefully, you can see the value of a crawl space or basement inspection if you’re buying or selling a home.
Crawlspace Medic is your source for expert crawl space inspectors. You may worry about finding problems during an inspection. However, it’s important to understand that crawl space inspection is for your benefit.
We can help you to find hidden issues. What’s more, we can help you to make repairs quickly.
Our technicians have decades of experience. We know exactly what to do to bring your home back to health and safety.
Please feel free to contact Crawlspace Medic today at (866) 882-7295 or connect with us online to schedule an inspection.
