Do you wish to sell your home? Selling a house with water in the crawl space is complicated. But what if I told you there was a way to sell your home even with the crawl space issues?
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), water damage affects around 14,000 people in the United States every single day.
A leaky basement is a ticking time bomb that most buyers will be wary of. It can be a problem in the sale, but you have to consider ways to go around it.
You might have considered selling the house by hiding the water damage. Please avoid it! Wet basements cause damage over time. Suppose the new owner’s notice could result in a lawsuit. You wouldn’t want that, right?
How do you go about selling a house with water in the crawl space? Continue reading to identify how to sell a house with water in the crawl space.
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What affects your home sale decision?
Before you can sell a house with water in the crawl space, you’ll need to understand the origin and extent of the problem first.
It’s necessary to consider whether your basement is finished or unfinished.
The basement can be a living space for some, which adds value to your property. Understanding if the leak happens due to a proofing problem will determine the right approach to use.
The frequency of leaks in the area also determines the extent of the problem. You have a better chance of finding out and solving the problem by looking at what others have done.
Looking at the problem based on its origin and extent will assist with tailoring the solutions to meet your needs.
1. Consider full disclosure during the sale
Have you thought about selling the house as-is? You could go on with the sale provided you offer the buyer a full disclosure of the crawl space problem.
It might sound like the easiest route, but there are drawbacks to it. Water in crawl space is known to cause damage, and any of these might significantly reduce the property value by at least 60 percent. There are also very few buyers interested in inheriting home problems, but you could give it a shot.
Depending on the problem and the buyer’s interests, your sale might attract great offers as well. Make sure that you disclose the water in the crawl space to the buyer. Such a disclosure ensures that you avoid legal trouble with a buyer down the line.
Consider specifying the extent of the problem to the buyer. A general disclaimer will not suffice since buyers are more into details of the problem, like when the leak occurs and why it happens. A manageable leak will most likely be a no concern for a new homeowner.
In addition to feeling at ease, buyers will be reluctant to sue for misrepresentation when the problem resurfaces. You would otherwise have to cater for the repair costs and their attorney fees.
Don’t assume that disclosing water in the crawl space problem will derail your home sale. You might be surprised at the interest of a listing as buyers are always looking for affordable homes.
2. Direct water away from the house
Are you on a strict budget when making the house suitable to sell? You could deal with water in crawl spaces problems by rerouting runoff away from home externally.
Causes of water in crawl spaces include runoff from rainwater or snow thawing. The significant problems of water in crawl spaces can be catastrophic. You could alter that by ensuring water runs right through the crawl space.
Here are a few solutions to work with when directing water away from the house.
Change the Slope of Your Lawn
The slope of your landscape determines the trajectory which water will follow. It would help if you considered sloping it out away from your house’s foundation.
Changing the slope of your lawn aims at preventing pooling in the wrong places. You’ll need to be careful to ensure that the sloping does not result in erosion as well. Creating a well-graded lawn can assist take care of erosion.
Landscaping is a relatively cheaper solution to dealing with water damage, and it’ll be suitable to work for you.
Extend Your Downspouts
Does your basement leaking problem happen mainly during a storm or in winter thaw? Your downspouts could be a source of concern, so check them.
Downspouts collect water from the roof and are meant to channel it away from the foundation. The problem could be that they deposit water at the base of your home.
Consider extending the downspouts to assist with water diverting as a solution. Extensions are cheap to acquire and easy to fix, which saves you money and fixes the problem.
3. Waterproof your basement fully
Do you intend to do away with the water in crawl spaces before selling your home? A fully-fledged waterproofing to your crawl space is critical.
Ensuring your basement is watertight markets the house better to buyers. As a homeowner looking to sell your home, waterproofing is costly but can increase your home value.
The following is what fully-fledged waterproofing involves.
Removing Water Damaged Items
Water damage is typical, especially in spaces where it has holed up. Previous leaks might have caused a lot of damage which you should eradicate within the water remediation.
Removing water-damaged material as the first step to renovation ensures a clean slate. Waterproofing will therefore be well conducted using newer material that reinforces the foundation to the house.
Drain Installation
Drain systems can seem like a disastrous fix to water in crawl spaces, but they work well. The creation of trenches or even a yard pipe works to do away with the water at the moment.
It’s an easy fix and has to be repeated every time there’s a leak. It, however, offers the space for working on the waterproofing by making the conditions favorable.
Install a Liner Within Your Basement
Do you wish to have the waterproofing solution last you long? Installing a liner within your basement can be vital to extending the life of the waterproof.
Consider appropriate liners, whether coating or silicate sealers. Make sure that the interior liner applied will be waterproof, which ensures the results last.
Consider Installing a Sump Pump
A sump pump mechanically directs water from the basement whenever need be. Installing it can be imperative to ridding the water in crawl spaces problem.
4. Consider real estate buyers
Do you wish to get rid of your home fast? Real estate buyers can offer you a quick solution to selling your home with water in crawl spaces.
You might be in an emergency that needs you to sell the home as fast as possible, which can be challenging in everyday situations. You also could be willing to get rid of the home to do away with the strenuous process of getting a buyer. A home buying company is your friend when selling a home with a leaky basement.
The many options in the market make it incredibly challenging to find a single option to work with. It would help if you were careful not to end up with an option you cannot trust.
Here is a breakdown of what to check with the real estate buyers:
Reputable Home Buying Company
Reputation in business matters. This is because it describes relationships that companies have with their clients. You’ll need to choose a reputable home buying company.
Seeking references for the company will offer you honest reviews about how good the company is.
A reputable home buying company is best suited to make your selling process a lot easier. You’ll be lucky to deal with them since it also reduces your chances of getting duped.
Offer No Obligation Cash Offers
You’ll want quick processing for the sale if it’s for an emergency. There is a need for your home buyer real estate agency to offer you cash offers.
Great real estate buyers will have their value estimators to ensure that you get accurate quotes. They’re also best positioned to save you time by buying your home as-is with their cash offers. The house sale needs to be a no obligations deal which is among what they offer.
Consider the above factors when selling a house with water in the crawl space
Selling a house with water in the crawl space can be overwhelming. The above factors will assist in making the home sale easy. Water in crawl space home inspection will assist you in determining whether your solution is actionable.
Are you looking for a real estate homebuyer? iBuyer got you covered. We can offer you information, connections, and insights to quickly sell your house. We also offer home valuation and connect you with quick buyers for reasonable cash offers for your home as-is.
