Current Events > About to make an offer for my first home, but water puddle inside the house

(+) Yeah! (+)

Hey guys,

I am about to buy my first home. I've actually been looking with my real estate agent since October. I found 2 homes but both were snatched up because I was too slow to decide and make and offer.

Needless to say, today, I found a home that I really like, about to make an offer.But then I found a significant water puddle inside the house on the tile floor located int he dining area on the front side of the house. The house itself is 1 story with tile floorings throughout. It hasn't rained in months, but the water sprinklers were on outside.

my concerns about buying this home are 1)is this a new problem or has it been going on for a while, i'm thinking the latter 2)what kind of structural and foundational damage to the walls or floor has it already cause? fixing it would be so expensive, it's no joke. 3)because of the water leaking into floor and possible the bottom of the wall where there floor and wall meets, i'm thinking there could be molds.

now I dont know anything about homes, i'm not a carpenter, i'm not a contractor, i'm no handyman. But i figure there's probably people in gamefaqs who know a lot about homes. what do you guys think. is that problem a major deal? i feel like it's a major problem and a big deal. but i'm also thinking, maybe the homeowners can fix it before I make an offer. they need to fix that.

the foundation of the home is the most important, any damage to the foundation can be costly to repair. i asked my old man about this, and he said don't make an offer. but what do you guys think?
---

If water is leaking in from the outside, there is almost certainly going to be mold in that wall, along with all the other water damage. When people are showing a house to a prospective buyer and there's an obvious problem like that, it's a really bad sign because that's when they should be making sure things look good. That tells you the people who are selling the place can't even be bothered to cover up what's wrong, and there's probably other problems too. AVOID!
---

This is why you pay for a home inspection from a qualified company.
---

Dude if you're looking to buy a home and you're already concerned about it before you even make an offer. DONT. Yes there are some great opportunities you'll miss out on when looking, cause they get snatched up. But keep looking, you'll find the home you're looking for and be at the right place and time to get it.

Don't move into a place that already has red flags for you. Regardless of an inspection.

That sounds like a huge issue. Take your time TC, dont rush into any decisions. It took us 6 months before we decided on our house and I couldnt be happier. Youll know when its the right one.

Thanks for the responses folks. The home itself was built in 1991, the neighborhood is great, close to everything, but I think I'll hold off and won't be making an offer.

it's so hard to find a nice house in a good location, but I'll keep looking
---

synth_real posted...

If water is leaking in from the outside, there is almost certainly going to be mold in that wall, along with all the other water damage. When people are showing a house to a prospective buyer and there's an obvious problem like that, it's a really bad sign because that's when they should be making sure things look good. That tells you the people who are selling the place can't even be bothered to cover up what's wrong, and there's probably other problems too. AVOID!

Yeah, it's so weird, they completely updated everything, new exterior and interior paint, new tile floorings throughout, new kitchen sink, bathroom sink And new toilet. But I wonder if that's just a facade to cover up the problem I saw with the water seeping in and creating a puddle
---

Filipino Rebellion posted...

synth_real posted...

If water is leaking in from the outside, there is almost certainly going to be mold in that wall, along with all the other water damage. When people are showing a house to a prospective buyer and there's an obvious problem like that, it's a really bad sign because that's when they should be making sure things look good. That tells you the people who are selling the place can't even be bothered to cover up what's wrong, and there's probably other problems too. AVOID!

Yeah, it's so weird, they completely updated everything, new exterior and interior paint, new tile floorings throughout, new kitchen sink, bathroom sink And new toilet. But I wonder if that's just a facade to cover up the problem I saw with the water seeping in and creating a puddle

A coat of paint is cheap, sinks aren't hard to install, tile flooring can be a little pricey depending on the tiles, but none of that goes into the walls, just covers it up.

I'll give you a tip about home inspectors: don't trust the realtor to hire one, do your homework and find one yourself. Plenty of realtors are just as shady as used car salesmen and are just trying to make sales as quickly as possible. My mother just went with the home inspector her realtor knew, and he missed some big stuff, including a basement window that wasn't installed properly (and it was obvious when you tried to open it because the frame moved around a lot) so the basement walls were full of mold, had to gut out the entire basement and redo it all. He also missed some other stuff like the pipes for the hot water tank were hooked up backwards. A proper home inspection should take a while, if the guy is done in an hour you should get a second opinion.
---

Why arent you having it inspected

Thats an important part of the Home buying process you seem to be skipping
---

I know its already been posted a bunch of times but

your first thought when you saw that should have been, shit, my inspector will check this out.
---

TheGoldenEel posted...

Why arent you having it inspected

Thats an important part of the Home buying process you seem to be skipping

Yeah, seriously man. Get it inspected.
---

Get it inspected asap.

That should be, like, the very first thing you do when looking to get a house.
---

Like everyone else said, a home inspection is something you need to have done (and should do even if there aren't any immediately visible problems). Never buy a home without having it inspected. It can save you a lot of money in the long run.
---

Thanks all of you for the responses. I havent made an offer yet. Definitely I will have the home inspected. But doesnt usually home inspection start after making an offer? And if it home inspection fails buyer can back out?
---

Home inspection is usually done AFTER the offer is accepted...

And you can absolutely back out after the home inspection. It should be in the clause when you give your offer to them. You can also renegotiate after the inspection finds some stuff (e.g. Lower the price more or have them fix stuff).

Was the puddle against a wall, or just in the middle of the floor?
Was it under a window? If so, are the windows original to the house?
Was there signs of a long-term water stain on either the ceiling, tile or the wall (if it was next to it)?
Was there any sign of a water stain on the wall / floor below?
Is the main floor at ground level or above?
Is there a garden or raised earth next to the exterior wall (if it's next to the wall)?
Did you ask the realtor(s) about it?

Someone could have spilled a glass of water.
Someone could have left the window open and the sprinkler shot through.
Could be a drip from the attic.
Could be just an old window having a leak.
Could be a crack in the foundation and water has been seeping through, rotting the sheathing, framing, drywall, insulation, and causing mold. There would likely be more obvious signs if that was the case.
A small leak isn't going to wreck the foundation regardless.

Not really enough information.

Every home has issues. Every home also has mold, even if you don't know it's there.

When you make an offer you put in there to have an inspection (and you show up for the inspection and point out your concerns to him or her), and add a back-out clause, or have them fix any issues, or reduce the price because you'll have to pay to have it fixed.

Thanks. The house itself is one story. No basement. I didnt see any visible signs of water stain on the wall. Then again the house is newly painted. Everything inside has been improved, whether for the better or to just cover it up who knows.

new tile flooring, new paint.The water puddle on the floor was near the wall and it seemed like water was seeping up where the floor and wall meets creating a puddle running alongside it

My agent said if Im interested I can make an offer and she will arrange for a home inspection. But she said its better to make an offer coz it might sell fast. The house is on prime location.

But man Im so hesitant.
---

Filipino Rebellion posted...

My agent said if Im interested I can make an offer and she will arrange for a home inspection

Don't go off only that, hire your own inspector as well, because
Filipino Rebellion posted...

But she said its better to make an offer coz it might sell fast. The house is on prime location.

sounds like she might be trying to pressure you to make a faster sale. Never trust a realtor too much, the more homes she sells in a month, the more money she makes that month. I will repeat myself when I say my mother made that mistake and the inspector her realtor got her missed a bunch of big things. Make sure you are there when the inspection happens, if it's over in an hour or so, absolutely get a second inspector in there and do not give in to pressure. There's a lot of half-assed inspectors out there.
---

Dont do it TC. Your realtor sounds scummy. Go through Redfin. You set up your own appointments and the people who show you houses dont get a cut from the sale (not directly). They dont push you at all. We used them and saved about $4500. Just have to do your own research though.

Im still torn. I trust my realtor of course but like @synth_real says, its always good to question decisions and not place too much trust.

My realtor says she advices a home inspection which will take normally 3 hours. I know it seems to be normal process to make an offer draw up a contract then afterwards a home inspection occurs within a week or two.

My realtor called the sellers realtor and asked about the water problem. Water is gone now, but it still doesnt address the issue why and what it was doing there, how did that happen, is that a problem from before and the owners just covered it up with nice floor tiles and new wall paint. Thats what I want to know. Was that a new problem or chronic problem and owners just patched it up.

Again those are things the home inspector will check. But I dont know, the water puddle killed me. Its such a nice house, amazing location with so many upgrades. But what if those upgrades are just coverups
---

Filipino Rebellion posted...

My realtor says she advices a home inspection which will take normally 3 hours

That sounds about right, the inspection my mother got was less than half of that time, maybe your realtor is better than hers was, and it was someone she's known for years too.
---