New House Buyers

[westwoody]

FYI
Looking at a house to buy?
Does the basement have brand new insulation, vapour barrier and studs?
This is a HUGE red flag!
Demand to see what is behind the wool insulation before buying.
Today I looked at a house with a big crack the full width of the basement wall. The second I've seen this year.
Also saw one with the back wall collapsed into the basement. Saw one last year too. The one last year was over 100k in repairs.
Problem is buyers don't can't see the crack, they drywall over it. Crack grows for years and then the wall fails.

 

[Pornholio]

FYI
Looking at a house to buy?
Does the basement have brand new insulation, vapour barrier and studs?
This is a HUGE red flag!
Demand to see what is behind the wool insulation before buying.
Today I looked at a house with a big crack the full width of the basement wall. The second I've seen this year.
Also saw one with the back wall collapsed into the basement. Saw one last year too. The one last year was over 100k in repairs.
Problem is buyers don't can't see the crack, they drywall over it. Crack grows for years and then the wall fails.

I remember looking at a house in Burnaby, looked awesome. Came back 2nd time, a neighbor came over and said you look awesome, would love to have you as neighbor, but told me that the house had a grow up a year b4. Realtor said jack shit about it. I mean if I put a offer on and had house inspection, hoping it's.be discovered, but that's something I'd like to one upfront, before I got invested in it. No idea what the potential mold Sitch would be like

 

[jgg]

FYI
Looking at a house to buy?
Does the basement have brand new insulation, vapour barrier and studs?
This is a HUGE red flag!
Demand to see what is behind the wool insulation before buying.
Today I looked at a house with a big crack the full width of the basement wall. The second I've seen this year.
Also saw one with the back wall collapsed into the basement. Saw one last year too. The one last year was over 100k in repairs.
Problem is buyers don't can't see the crack, they drywall over it. Crack grows for years and then the wall fails.

gotta love Red River clay soil.

 

[westwoody]

I remember looking at a house in Burnaby, looked awesome. Came back 2nd time, a neighbor came over and said you look awesome, would love to have you as neighbor, but told me that the house had a grow up a year b4. Realtor said jack shit about it. I mean if I put a offer on and had house inspection, hoping it's.be discovered, but that's something I'd like to one upfront, before I got invested in it. No idea what the potential mold Sitch would be like

House inspection is fucking scam.
Get an actual contractor or at least a journeyman tradesman to look at it with you.
When I bought my first house the real estate agent had a friend who was an inspector. The guy would not do the inspection with me present. Now I know better.

I think BC might have a registry of houses that have been used as grow ops. Agents will not volunteer this but I think sellers are required to. It can be trivial or a deal breaker.
The house I was in earlier had black mould on the wall side of the wool. You can't see it but you are breathing it.
There is a spray called (I think) Concobium that kills the mould. Put it in a Ryobi electrostatic mister and put it on everything.

 

[Pornholio]

Was just nice of the neighbours to tell us. Looking back this was 18 years ago, and house was $450k. I could have flipped it for $2m since. lol. Worked out bought in Steveston and paid it off, but prices were different 18 years ago. Just starting to climb.

 

[Ctian]

definitely hiring the right inspector with the right knowledge and tools to do a complete job, not a lick and stick it inspection...also having extra eyes as a buddy contractor etc is a good bet as well...the more info you can gather the better safer off you will be.

 

[asf_post]

When I bought my first house the real estate agent had a friend who was an inspector. The guy would not do the inspection with me present. Now I know better.

This!! Never hire a house inspector recommended by a real estate agent.

 

[PuntMeister]

I’ve hired inspectors recommended by my Buying agents—never from a selling agent.

Worked well. They found stuff I missed as a technocally savvy dude, resulting in repairs at sellers expense or price deductions that way more than offset what I spent for the inspection. The inspection report can be a powerful bargaining chip. Leaks, aluminum wiring in obscure locations, appliances not working right, thermal hotspots at electrical panel or sockets, shit not to code, roof issues, foundation degradation, etc. But mostly it’s catastrophic stuff and peace of mind.

 

[Rackattack]

I remember looking at a house in Burnaby, looked awesome. Came back 2nd time, a neighbor came over and said you look awesome, would love to have you as neighbor, but told me that the house had a grow up a year b4. Realtor said jack shit about it. I mean if I put a offer on and had house inspection, hoping it's.be discovered, but that's something I'd like to one upfront, before I got invested in it. No idea what the potential mold Sitch would be like

You have to disclose that.
you should follow up. Realtor and seller knew and should face consequences.

 

[TerrR]

Yes, disclosure is definitely a thing. If you place an offer on a house you should include a line something to the effect, “seller guarantees no known foundation issues” and also something that directly speaks to owner’s knowledge of any water leakage over the past
x-number of years.
These sort of specifications put a lot of legal pressure on the seller and their agent to disclose relevant info.

 

[EuroSZabina]

FYI
Looking at a house to buy?
Does the basement have brand new insulation, vapour barrier and studs?
This is a HUGE red flag!
Demand to see what is behind the wool insulation before buying.
Today I looked at a house with a big crack the full width of the basement wall. The second I've seen this year.
Also saw one with the back wall collapsed into the basement. Saw one last year too. The one last year was over 100k in repairs.
Problem is buyers don't can't see the crack, they drywall over it. Crack grows for years and then the wall fails.

I always get an inspector regardless it's a small project or big. Mostly I buy outside the country and if I can't be present in the country to look at the investment I ask the realtor to get an inspector. Don't be cheap to pay for it otherwise you pay the price later.

 

[masterpoonhunter]

As part of a sale (in BC) the seller has to complete a disclosure noting any defects, issues etc of which they were aware. The new buyer has the right to seek compensation to remedy any such defects that the owner knew but did not disclose.

It can get really really messy. Some time ago a house sold down the street from me, nothing particularly outstanding about the property but the new owners were planning a big reno. As they started the reno, they found signs of rodents. Then as they dug deeper, they found the ENTIRE HOUSE had been infested with rats. Every bit of insulation, all vapour barriers, all drywall the whole fucking house. In a nosey neighbour moment I dropped over, got a first hand look of insulation in a ceiling panel coming down and a rain of dried rat shit falling to the floor. Truly an image that can't be unseen.

The prior owners had to have known as there were rat droppings behind the hot water tank and a few traps under the washer/dryer. And how in the fuck anyone can live (for years) in a house like that is way beyond any understanding I have!!

Anyway, from what I understood the new guys sued the prior owners for a couple hundred K and won but it took a lot of time and bullshit. And I learned what Smoke Seal is from this. Really heavy ammonia based paint that is applied to the previously infested areas, soaks up the piss and bacteria, kills it all and seals all the wood. Used after a fire to seal smoke damage/smell. A house of 2500 ft2 needs about 60 gallons of this stuff, applied by painters wearing pretty full PPE.

Anyway, the point being, if a house is sold and the owner knows something is wrong they had better disclose it ...

 

[sybian]

A good reputable inspector will pay for themselves pretty quick…and I agree have a contractor follow him around or do his own show and tell….seen plenty of farm buildings that would go up in flames , because of bad wiring , or weak timber frames.

 

[masterblaster]

Some years ago i lived in Swift Current. Decided to finish the basement in the house so I went to check with the city about getting a wiring permit. The fellow I talked to at city hall when I inquired about a permit told me “oh no we don’t allow people to do their own wiring in Swift Current” This didn’t seem right to me so I checked into it more and found out it was regulated by the province.

I found the person who was in charge of permits at the provincial building and got the wiring permit there. Told the provincial guy what the city guy told me. He said must have a brother-in-law who’s an electrician. Got the basement wired and duly inspected. Was in Swift Current a month or so ago, drove by the old house, still standing.

 

[westwoody]

Sounds like Winnipeg permits department.