The pest dry rot and structural inspection is probably the single biggest hang up for sellers and buyers in the home selling process. Lots of beautiful homes get written up during the sale process, while in escrow, by the inspector who say there is evidence of former groundwater problems, or actual groundwater in the basement or crawlspace.
Most sellers are caught like a deer in the headlights, somewhere between anger and fear.
They tell the buyers that they have never had a groundwater problem and they just can’t understand why that mean old home inspector would say such a nasty thing about their beautiful home.
Sometimes the sellers are just fibbin’, and other times they actually are not aware that there was a groundwater problem. Most sellers do not notice groundwater problems or the damage they create. Groundwater problems and general dryrot problems may be evidenced by foundation footings that sink, floors that warp and creak, doors that close hard, windows that jam and break, cupboards that stick or will not close, and bathroom floors that are spongy and dry rotted to name a few. Smells that homeowners have become used to and do not notice and other evidence of groundwater problems in the home could have tipped them off to the drainage problem if they were informed sellers on home drainage issues and their legal responsibilities to find them and disclose them to home buyers.
A groundwater and dryrot problem certainly has the propensity for being out of site, out of mind. You can protect your home and your nerves by having the home inspected every 2-3 years to look for signs of groundwater problems. This will go a long way to preserve the value of your home and give you time to fix those home drainage problems that can cause your home transaction to go on the rocks when the chips are on the line.
Being angry at the home inspector or home drainage contractor won’t remove the groundwater problem. Most often home sellers do not have extra cash at the time they are selling the home as they are also purchasing another home, and even need the cash from the former to finance it. Home sellers can really make a mess out of this situation. Give yourself a break if you are the seller. Look around and under the home prior to selling and fix those home drainage problems prior to setting the sale price and hiring an agent.
Install hand excavated french drains to protect against damage from groundwater saturation and leaking into crawlspaces and basements. You will be glad you did.
I spent over 25 years as a commercial-investment and residential real estate company owner/ broker prior to starting this company many years ago. A stitch in time says more than nine folks.