While showing homes this past week, my clients and I arrived at a very nice home. Priced well, and from everything we had been able to ascertain prior to going in the home, this could have been a winner.
The outside needed a little TLC, but nothing a little paint & landscaping couldn’t cure.As we walk into the kitchen with the beautiful ceramic tiled floors, new cabinets, and many of them. Things were looking good. Right number of bedrooms, as well as great sizes. It was a bright sun shiny day, and the home had many windows, so we didn’t attempt to turn lights on, because they weren’t needed.
As I walked around the island in the kitchen, I noticed a pair of chest waders on the floor. I commented that there may have been a water issue, which would explain the waders. And the buyers and myself thought it may have been in the kitchen, as the dishwasher was pulled out.
Boy, were we ever wrong. The buyer decides to go down and check out the basement. He opened the door and as he stepped onto the 4th step leading to the approx. 800 square foot basement he steps into water. We pull out flashlights, after determining there was no power and find that the basement is FULL of water. No kidding.
Now I have been shown homes that the power had been shut off and the sump pump wasn’t working and have seen up to 3 feet of standing water in a basement. I have never seen anything like this.
So you never know what you may find when viewing homes, but in the words of my buyer, “If you see waders, turn on lights or flashlights before attempting to go into the basement.”
If you or anyone you know is looking to buy, build or sell feel free to contact me at 317-893-0648 or www.dawnwhalen.com
Originally posted on www.buybuildandsellwithdawnwhalen.blogspot.com
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As a Realtor working & living in my community, I will provide you general Real Estate info as well as community information for Beech Grove Indiana & the surrounding communities.
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Dawn: That's just crazy! I saw a home like that once...it had raw sewage in the basement. Called the listing agent to let her know. She knew all about it. Then proceeded to tell me, assuming that my buyer just had to have this $%!#hole that the seller would not accept less than full list price (overpriced WITHOUT the basement issue) and that the EMD check should be made out directly to the seller. Whatever.
I swear I am going to write a book about adventures in Real Estate! Next time, call the Health Department - nothing lowers a price as fast as a "condemmed notice" tacked on the front door! Silly me - I keep telling my investors that human waste will get them a house CHEAP! Just unbelievable that people would actually think that someone else would pay money to buy their huge problem house!
It amazes me that in this climate of slower sales that the sellers are not doing everything to put their best "foot" forward. Why would the buyer even consider the home unless priced what? 40 - 50% below market?
Crazy
Thanks for the post
Tony
Glad the electricity wasn't turned on. Some people just don't understand winterization!
Chris- It was something else. But it did give my buyers something to laugh about later in the day!
Jill & Tony- Yeah, well I called the listing agent immediately, only to get voice mail, so I emailed her at the end of the day after the showings, and she informed me she had known since Saturday, (we looked at the property on Monday) and thought we had already viewed the home on Friday. That's why we scheduled a showing. She said the homeowner moved out of state, had turned all of the utilities off, and is a few months behind on the mortgage payments, so she is going to let it go back to the bank!
Erby- I totally agree, I am thankful my clients didn't get injured during this showing!
Hi Dawn - There are things that will turn a buyer off immediately. Obviously, waist high water in the basement is one of them. I have had buyers in homes that they really liked but then went into the basement; what they saw was a turn off. In one home we found mold from floor to ceiling while in another home we found a steady stream of water from the basement wall to the drain. The buyers started out really liking these homes but lost interest as soon as they saw what was going on in the basement.