Minnesota Flooded Basement? You Need It Done Right!
Water Damage Flood Damage Repair and Restoration One of the worst nightmares a homeowner can have is a flooded basement! Not only is it a horrible inconvenience, it can also significantly lower the value of your property. A professional evaluation is needed to better ascertain the extent of the potential damage that may be lurking in your home or building. Hire a professional Minnesota Water Damage Restoration Company to determine the cause of potential damage and provide a specific remedy for effective removal. Water Damage To Your Home In other situations, a water pipe may burst, and air conditioning leak, moisture intrusion, backed up septic tank or sewer line, or a sump pump may malfunction while you’re away on vacation and do serious water damage to your home and possessions. Water damage can be hazardous to your health if the proper, effective identification (Cat 1-3), professional analysis and remediation are not taken into effect. You Need A Minnesota Water Damage Restoration Professional If there’s water in your basement, and you need it Done Right, you need an expert that is experience in dealing with mold, mildew, fungus and water that might be contaminated. Keep you and your family safe. A Minnesota water damage restoration professional will have the skills to have your basement available to you again in no time at all. If your home or business has sustained ANY type of water damage, you need to have a qualified Minnesota restoration company that does Water and Flood Damage Cleanup. They will have the proper state-of-the-art equipment to clean up any water damage, such as Fans, Dehumidifiers, Air Scrubbers, Ozone Machines, Desiccants that can save most...
Read MoreMinneapolis Truth-in-Sale Inspection | Home Inspection and Water Damage
What To Disclose When Selling Your Home In the past, the general rule if you were buying a home was caveat emptor – Buyer Beware! The seller wasn’t obliged to tell you whether the roof leaked or the furnace didn’t work, or even if the house was built on a toxic dump. If you were buying a home, you were supposed to figure all of that out for yourself. But in recent years, the general trend towards consumer protection has included a change in the laws of most states on what needs to be disclosed. Minneapolis Truth-in-Sale Inspection In most states, if you’re selling a home it is illegal to fail to disclose major physical defects in your property, such as a basement that floods in heavy rains. You may need to make written disclosures to indicate what you know about the condition of your home. In some states, seller disclosures are still voluntary, but even then you may want to consider telling the buyer what you know. A major cause of post sale disputes and lawsuits is defects and disclosure, and most disputes can be avoided if proper disclosures are made. This is an area of the law that changes rapidly, differs widely from state to state, and may be affected by local ordinances, so look for up-to-date information on the law that applies to you. How does the seller make disclosure? It depends. In many states, compliance with disclosure obligations is made easy through the use of seller disclosure forms. These forms consist of a long list of questions, for example whether there has been fire, wind or flood damage that required repair; if the property is in an earthquake fault zone; even whether a death has occurred on the property within the last three years. The seller must answer each question “yes,” “no,” or “don’t know.” It’s perfectly acceptable for a seller to answer a question “don’t know” – the purpose of the disclosure is to make the seller tell the buyer what the seller knows about the property, not to initiate a research project. The seller disclosure forms are usually then attached to the sale contract. Even in those states that do not require written disclosures, some real estate companies require prospective sellers to complete a disclosure form before listing the property. Other states may only require oral disclosures. If you’re buying a home, it is prudent to record any disclosures the seller makes, and even ask whether the seller is willing to make disclosures in writing. What does the seller need to disclose? In most states where disclosures are mandatory, sellers are required to disclose material facts about the property for sale – that is, anything that could affect the sale price or influence a buyer’s decision to purchase a home. This is obviously a pretty subjective requirement — a fact that is materials to one buyer may not concern another. Remember, generally you only need to disclose information within your personal knowledge. If you’re wondering whether something should be disclosed, consult a real estate agent or your property attorney. Ask yourself if you’d want to have the information if you were the buyer. If the answer is yes, then disclose. It could save you a lot of trouble down the line. There are some defects that should always be disclosed: Plumbing and sewage issues Water leakage of any type, including flooding in the basement and wet basement problems Termites or other insect infestations Roof defects Heating or air conditioning system issues Moisture and Property drainage problems Foundation instabilities or cracks Problems with title...
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Buying A New Home – Protect Yourself With A Home Inspection When you find the perfect house, you want to move in immediately. Before your heart races ahead of your head and you ignore the old pipes or leaky roof, it is time to hire a professional to help you make your final decision. Now is the time to talk about the nitty gritty details of a home inspection and making an offer. Most sellers are required to disclose certain types of information about the homes they are selling. The Home Inspection Once you buy a home, repairs can eat into your pocketbook, making the home of your dreams a “money pit.” Homes can have wet basements, shaky foundations, rotting roofs and a multitude of other problems — even if they’re relatively new. But a thorough home inspection before you buy can keep you from getting stuck with the bill. Should You Buy a House With a Wet Basement? There are more problems with wet foundations and basements than any other physical problem in a house. Therefore, it’s important when buying a house with a basement to check for signs of dampness in the basement. It’s better to find out before you buy than afterwards, especially since you can’t rely on seller disclosures. Why can’t you rely on seller disclosures? Because the sellers might not know about it. If the sellers did have knowledge, however, and failed to disclose the water problems in a basement, it could be: Difficult to prove in court Take years to get into court Expensive to sue Very expensive to dry out the basement This is why you should always, without fail, get an independent home inspection by a qualified and accredited professional. Signs of a Damp or Wet Basement Water stains along walls or floor. This could be caused by something simple such as an overflowing laundry tub or it could be a result of water seeping in through basement windows, the walls or the floor. Musty odor or damp smell. Excess moisture in a basement can cause an unmistakable smell. Mold. It could be colored black, brown, yellow or green, and you won’t know for certain if it’s mold without testing it. Often the northwest corner of a house is known as a “cold corner” and susceptible to developing mold. Efflorescence. This condition produces a white or sometimes grayish ash on the walls. Sometimes it sparkles. Efflorescence is caused by salt deposits left behind by evaporating water. Spalling. When water gets inside the surface of concrete, brick or stone, salt deposits from the water cause the surface to flake away, peel or pop off. There are some defects that should always be disclosed: Plumbing and sewage issues Water leakage of any type, including in basements Termites or other insect infestations Roof defects Heating or air conditioning system issues Property drainage problems Foundation instabilities or cracks In closing, don’t store valuables, photographs, paper documents or anything you care to preserve in a wet basement. Moreover, get an expert’s opinion, including an engineer’s report, if you can, before you buy a house with wet basement problems. It might not be worth the hassle. Knowing what to look for in regards to signs of water damage when viewing a potential home or property can seriously save you future headaches. If you find water stains or water damage anywhere in the home, it is likely an indication that water is coming in from the outside or from faulty details like poor plumbing or venting. Always ask your realtor questions, use home inspectors who have great references...
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