Have you crawled under your home lately?
This
Seller had no idea water flowed under his home. The picture shows silt or mud
covering the entire surface of the plastic vapor barrier. This had been occurring
for several years because of no gutters on home and the hill behind the home needed
a trench to divert water away. It luckily had not caused any real damage because
the foundation walls were well ventilated and the water didn't stand long. But
the surprise the Buyer felt upon discovering the intrusion was too much and she
walked. If the Seller would have had a home inspection 2 months ago before or
soon after he listed the property for sale, he could have avoided the loss of
losing this sale by correcting the problem before the buyer came along. With gutters,
a trench and some fresh plastic. The Seller agreed to fix it even though the contract
was signed, because he had found his next home and had put earnest money and an
offer on it. But the Buyer had already been influenced by the appearance and had
decided she was not going to purchase. This all could have been avoided with a
"Seller's Inspection."
Inspector: Russell Buchanan
