Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an inexpensive house relatively… makes the repairs a chunk of the current value, but is the overall condition consistent with being a fixer upper?

Were you planning on renovating these areas anyway?

Not all black mold is THE black mold. It looks to be mostly on concrete (0 concern) or wood that you would replace anyway as part of remediation.

Based on what you’ve said, it’s not the end of the world. Water issues are a big problem if you can’t isolate the cause. But you can. The subfloor being damaged sucks because you have to rip the whole thing up.

If you or your husband can supervise the project, it’s really not a huge deal. Put down some floor that’s updated and inexpensive, clean the cement, and when the floor is up you’ll have access to any areas that may have been wet. Carpenter ant damage makes sense given the moisture - probably requires sistering some of the structure (not complicated especially when the floor is up).

I would check to see if the moisture wicked up the wall or collected under the cabinets.

People make big deals about this stuff, but it can happen anywhere and you just have to deal with it as part of home ownership.

If you really love the house aside from this, I’d go for it. Sure, you can ask for a credit from the sellers, but if it’s already priced reflective of condition, they’re unlikely to give much. Can’t hurt to ask.

Realized I misread about carpenter ants. Those aren’t a big deal.

Look, none of this is outside the realm of something you may encounter as a home owner anyway.

Those pictures don’t scare me.

Based on the construction of the cabinets, they’re not that nice anyway.

I’d not look at this one job and freak out. Ok, you weren’t planning to redo the floors - but they are probably ugly and you would redo them eventually. So that is accelerated.

The joists appear to be in good shape- the weight hasn’t caused them to sag in their pockets.

My first house had very similar issues - but I wasn’t buying it thinking it was move in ready.

There is probably value here in the long run if you are smart with the budget.

It seems very likely the water is from a plumbing problem - I thought you knew that already. I would try to rule out foundation or roof issues as those are more expensive and probably mean damage outside of this localized area.

If this is rural and you have 2 plumbing fixtures with water damage around them, I’m thinking the property wasn’t winterized properly once and was vacant and had some pipe joints that busted in freeze/thaw. Maybe it something else - but is there water collecting anywhere now or is this all old mostly dry damage?

I want to add that you should look at the work needed across the whole house in its entirety. This may be the most significant defect you know about, but how old is the roof? HVAC? Appliances? Etc. When stuff like this is happening it’s unusual for everything else to be 100% solid. It seems like this is a fixer upper, which if it’s for the right price, could be a good move for you guys long term.

Op here: the roof is 11 years old, appliances definitely need upgrades (refrigerator is 8 years old, stove is 12 years old, dishwasher is 12 years old). Heating system is 18 years old. The house was built in 1980 so…

The appliances are fine. The mold and water issues are the reason to walk.

No.

Pregnant with your first baby? Hell, no.

Anonymous wrote:

People make big deals about this stuff, but it can happen anywhere and you just have to deal with it as part of home ownership.

Look, none of this is outside the realm of something you may encounter as a home owner anyway.

Big difference between "can happen" / "may encounter" vs Confirmed by Inspection.

I swear some of these responses.

I'm sure you understand everyone isn't you. People have differing opinions about what amounts to a subjective choice. This is not a case of 2+2=4.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If that is all in one area of the basement, just seems like a long-term leak. It wouldn't scare me at all. If the mold is a function of the leak, then you shouldn't be concerned. If it the mold is a function of general environmental flooding, that's a much bigger problem.

Op here; the worst of the mold is below the kitchen but there is mold covering every wall of the basement that we didn’t notice when we first viewed the home. The inspector said it’s very obvious there is a huge water issue within the basement and the basement floods every time it rains we found out.

The kitchen leak and related mold/repair in my opinion wouldn't be a concern of mine. But I know enough about mold to know it isn't actually dangerous.

If the house is in a flood-zone, floods when it rains, I probably wouldn't buy it.

If the house is in a flood zone, you will have to buy flood insurance for it. Also homeowner's doesn't cover flood. If it floods every time it rains, this problem will never be fixed without a major repair, that you would most likely be on the hook for.

On another note, pregnant with first child? Oh hell no. You can't be doing a full remediation of mold with a newborn in the house. Why would you move to someplace that could make you and your baby sick?

I totally get wanting a place of your own to raise your baby in, but I really don't think this is a good idea.

People make big deals about this stuff, but it can happen anywhere and you just have to deal with it as part of home ownership.

Look, none of this is outside the realm of something you may encounter as a home owner anyway.

Big difference between "can happen" / "may encounter" vs Confirmed by Inspection.

I swear some of these responses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If that is all in one area of the basement, just seems like a long-term leak. It wouldn't scare me at all. If the mold is a function of the leak, then you shouldn't be concerned. If it the mold is a function of general environmental flooding, that's a much bigger problem.

Op here; the worst of the mold is below the kitchen but there is mold covering every wall of the basement that we didn’t notice when we first viewed the home. The inspector said it’s very obvious there is a huge water issue within the basement and the basement floods every time it rains we found out.

The kitchen leak and related mold/repair in my opinion wouldn't be a concern of mine. But I know enough about mold to know it isn't actually dangerous.

If the house is in a flood-zone, floods when it rains, I probably wouldn't buy it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what made you put an offer on this house? What are the upsides? And are they worth all this headache you would be getting yourself into? I agree that what you see is likely just scratching the surface. We bought a house with signs of deferred maintenance that we missed and we discovered way more as we were fixing it up. Our reno ended up costing three times as much as we expected and it was very stressful and put significant strain on our marriage.

Op here: It’s in an area we love with a great school system (pregnant with first child currently) so that was the biggest draw to us. We definitely knew some upgrades/updating was going to need to be done but didn’t foresee mold remediation, replacing subfloor from kitchen to bathroom, plumbing issues, etc.

Do you have the $ to fix these issues and live elsewhere until it is fixed. I wouldn't move in while pregnant or with a child due to the mold. Honestly, you probably shouldn't be going in there anyway and your spouse should wear proper masks when by the mold.

I would not buy this home, but if you want it you need to get multiple quotes on fixing all of these issues and ask for the $ from the sellers. It will cost more than all the quotes, it just will. As someone else said I would ask for it in escrow or $ not in reducing price on the house, then you have $ to actually do the work. Do you have the cash to fix all these issues even if you get cash from the seller? This stuff can't wait to be fixed.

The basement flooding, you'll probably need to regrade, add sump pumps, french drains, etc, that is also costly. If you decide to buy this house, get quotes for those things too. Also have someone check the foundation. If there's mold throughout the basement and the basement floods there may be a foundation issue. Personally if I decided to buy the home I would fix the issues not ask the seller to do it. Lots of times sellers will do the cheapest fix or one that is less expensive and not what you want.

Also, what did your realtor say? My spouse and I looked at a home by creek years ago and our realtor flat out told us not to buy it that the area floods. She was right. If you don't go with this house I would find a different realtor, or at least speak to other ones. You want one who knows about homes and will advocate for YOU.

Agent X checking in.

Husbands say the funniest things during home searches. Your husband's response is typical and classic. Whenever he says "these are not big issues," change it to, "I lived in a crap-hole in college with rats running around day and night and this is paradise compared to that place, plus, I really don't want to keep looking for houses because I'm missing football on the weekends so we should just buy this one right?"

That should help put into perspective how men view house hunting vs women. Nothing the man says can be taken seriously.

If you want my professional advice instead of my marriage advice, Don't buy this house.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what made you put an offer on this house? What are the upsides? And are they worth all this headache you would be getting yourself into? I agree that what you see is likely just scratching the surface. We bought a house with signs of deferred maintenance that we missed and we discovered way more as we were fixing it up. Our reno ended up costing three times as much as we expected and it was very stressful and put significant strain on our marriage.

Op here: It’s in an area we love with a great school system (pregnant with first child currently) so that was the biggest draw to us. We definitely knew some upgrades/updating was going to need to be done but didn’t foresee mold remediation, replacing subfloor from kitchen to bathroom, plumbing issues, etc.

Do you have the funds to fix these issues?

Anonymous wrote:OP, what made you put an offer on this house? What are the upsides? And are they worth all this headache you would be getting yourself into? I agree that what you see is likely just scratching the surface. We bought a house with signs of deferred maintenance that we missed and we discovered way more as we were fixing it up. Our reno ended up costing three times as much as we expected and it was very stressful and put significant strain on our marriage.

Op here: It’s in an area we love with a great school system (pregnant with first child currently) so that was the biggest draw to us. We definitely knew some upgrades/updating was going to need to be done but didn’t foresee mold remediation, replacing subfloor from kitchen to bathroom, plumbing issues, etc.

Anonymous wrote:If that is all in one area of the basement, just seems like a long-term leak. It wouldn't scare me at all. If the mold is a function of the leak, then you shouldn't be concerned. If it the mold is a function of general environmental flooding, that's a much bigger problem.

Op here; the worst of the mold is below the kitchen but there is mold covering every wall of the basement that we didn’t notice when we first viewed the home. The inspector said it’s very obvious there is a huge water issue within the basement and the basement floods every time it rains we found out.

If that is all in one area of the basement, just seems like a long-term leak. It wouldn't scare me at all. If the mold is a function of the leak, then you shouldn't be concerned. If it the mold is a function of general environmental flooding, that's a much bigger problem.

OP, what made you put an offer on this house? What are the upsides? And are they worth all this headache you would be getting yourself into? I agree that what you see is likely just scratching the surface. We bought a house with signs of deferred maintenance that we missed and we discovered way more as we were fixing it up. Our reno ended up costing three times as much as we expected and it was very stressful and put significant strain on our marriage.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an inexpensive house relatively… makes the repairs a chunk of the current value, but is the overall condition consistent with being a fixer upper?

Were you planning on renovating these areas anyway?

Not all black mold is THE black mold. It looks to be mostly on concrete (0 concern) or wood that you would replace anyway as part of remediation.

Based on what you’ve said, it’s not the end of the world. Water issues are a big problem if you can’t isolate the cause. But you can. The subfloor being damaged sucks because you have to rip the whole thing up.

If you or your husband can supervise the project, it’s really not a huge deal. Put down some floor that’s updated and inexpensive, clean the cement, and when the floor is up you’ll have access to any areas that may have been wet. Carpenter ant damage makes sense given the moisture - probably requires sistering some of the structure (not complicated especially when the floor is up).

I would check to see if the moisture wicked up the wall or collected under the cabinets.

People make big deals about this stuff, but it can happen anywhere and you just have to deal with it as part of home ownership.

If you really love the house aside from this, I’d go for it. Sure, you can ask for a credit from the sellers, but if it’s already priced reflective of condition, they’re unlikely to give much. Can’t hurt to ask.

Realized I misread about carpenter ants. Those aren’t a big deal.

Look, none of this is outside the realm of something you may encounter as a home owner anyway.

Those pictures don’t scare me.

Based on the construction of the cabinets, they’re not that nice anyway.

I’d not look at this one job and freak out. Ok, you weren’t planning to redo the floors - but they are probably ugly and you would redo them eventually. So that is accelerated.

The joists appear to be in good shape- the weight hasn’t caused them to sag in their pockets.

My first house had very similar issues - but I wasn’t buying it thinking it was move in ready.

There is probably value here in the long run if you are smart with the budget.

It seems very likely the water is from a plumbing problem - I thought you knew that already. I would try to rule out foundation or roof issues as those are more expensive and probably mean damage outside of this localized area.

If this is rural and you have 2 plumbing fixtures with water damage around them, I’m thinking the property wasn’t winterized properly once and was vacant and had some pipe joints that busted in freeze/thaw. Maybe it something else - but is there water collecting anywhere now or is this all old mostly dry damage?

I want to add that you should look at the work needed across the whole house in its entirety. This may be the most significant defect you know about, but how old is the roof? HVAC? Appliances? Etc. When stuff like this is happening it’s unusual for everything else to be 100% solid. It seems like this is a fixer upper, which if it’s for the right price, could be a good move for you guys long term.

Op here: the roof is 11 years old, appliances definitely need upgrades (refrigerator is 8 years old, stove is 12 years old, dishwasher is 12 years old). Heating system is 18 years old. The house was built in 1980 so…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an inexpensive house relatively… makes the repairs a chunk of the current value, but is the overall condition consistent with being a fixer upper?

Were you planning on renovating these areas anyway?

Not all black mold is THE black mold. It looks to be mostly on concrete (0 concern) or wood that you would replace anyway as part of remediation.

Based on what you’ve said, it’s not the end of the world. Water issues are a big problem if you can’t isolate the cause. But you can. The subfloor being damaged sucks because you have to rip the whole thing up.

If you or your husband can supervise the project, it’s really not a huge deal. Put down some floor that’s updated and inexpensive, clean the cement, and when the floor is up you’ll have access to any areas that may have been wet. Carpenter ant damage makes sense given the moisture - probably requires sistering some of the structure (not complicated especially when the floor is up).

I would check to see if the moisture wicked up the wall or collected under the cabinets.

People make big deals about this stuff, but it can happen anywhere and you just have to deal with it as part of home ownership.

If you really love the house aside from this, I’d go for it. Sure, you can ask for a credit from the sellers, but if it’s already priced reflective of condition, they’re unlikely to give much. Can’t hurt to ask.

Realized I misread about carpenter ants. Those aren’t a big deal.

Look, none of this is outside the realm of something you may encounter as a home owner anyway.

Those pictures don’t scare me.

Based on the construction of the cabinets, they’re not that nice anyway.

I’d not look at this one job and freak out. Ok, you weren’t planning to redo the floors - but they are probably ugly and you would redo them eventually. So that is accelerated.

The joists appear to be in good shape- the weight hasn’t caused them to sag in their pockets.

My first house had very similar issues - but I wasn’t buying it thinking it was move in ready.

There is probably value here in the long run if you are smart with the budget.

It seems very likely the water is from a plumbing problem - I thought you knew that already. I would try to rule out foundation or roof issues as those are more expensive and probably mean damage outside of this localized area.

If this is rural and you have 2 plumbing fixtures with water damage around them, I’m thinking the property wasn’t winterized properly once and was vacant and had some pipe joints that busted in freeze/thaw. Maybe it something else - but is there water collecting anywhere now or is this all old mostly dry damage?

I want to add that you should look at the work needed across the whole house in its entirety. This may be the most significant defect you know about, but how old is the roof? HVAC? Appliances? Etc. When stuff like this is happening it’s unusual for everything else to be 100% solid. It seems like this is a fixer upper, which if it’s for the right price, could be a good move for you guys long term.