Pre-contract inspection revealed several issues- what would you do?
We had a pre-contract inspection done. The inspector identified and line-itemed $87k of issues that need to be fixed, stating some as critical and others as potential. (Heimer Inspectors). The biggest ticket items seem to be: – old plumbing system- needs update – old sewer system- needs update – needs new roof – stair risers…
We had a pre-contract inspection done. The inspector identified and line-itemed $87k of issues that need to be fixed, stating some as critical and others as potential. (Heimer Inspectors). The biggest ticket items seem to be:
– old plumbing system- needs update
– old sewer system- needs update
– needs new roof
– stair risers all uneven so we need new stairs
– evidence of leaks in basement which need to be addressed
How does a buyer typically address this with the seller? This is an old home, like almost all homes in Brooklyn- so are these problems customary?
Also, it seems that all old homes would have old sewer and water pipes- does the owner just take the risk that they are not living there when they finally break? Or do most owners try to replace them? And when buyers buy homes that have not been updated as such, do most negotiate this into the price?
Any advice would be appreciated. I’m particularly curious as to what other people do, as some of these items seem to be ones that would surface on any pre-contract inspection of an older home.
How could a house that has been renovated, gut or otherwise, need the kind of work you’re describing?
Yes, but fixing the plumbing and electric, after the house is renovated is going to be expensive, isn’t it?
Okay, well, I guess somebody’s claim that a house is “gut-rehabbed” does open the door for a buyer to verify whether it actually was gut-rehabbed.
I reacted the way I did on first post because it seems like lots of buyers try to use trivialities found on inspection to reopen negotiations. Bad idea, if you want the house.
I have to argue that even the cost of a new roof on a brownstone, which is, what, $3K to $5K?, is miniscule when you’re paying a million bucks, let alone two million. Not worth screwing up a deal.
Just to keep it in perspective.
I agree w/Bob Marvin also. If they did a gut rehab w/o updating the important stuff, you don’t know what is lurking behind walls and under floorboards. If you stick with this house, negotiate big time. Take into account whether or not the sellers came down on their price when they accepted your offer. If they never used the words “as is” go for it!
I think the technical term for that kind of work, known only to those in the building trades, is “schlock” 🙂
I agree with Bob–big time. Run, don’t walk. If someone has gutted the finishes but not touched mechanicals that are at the end of their useful life, the quality of the ‘gut reno’ is dubious, at best.
Find a better building.
Come to think of it, this reminds me of the very first Lefferts Manor house I looked at in1974. The broker pointed to the pipes in the celler, which were OBVIOUSLY lead, and proudly said “see–they’re all brass.” Needless to say, we looked further. The house we bought also had the original lead plumbing, but no one assumed we were fools and tried to misrepresent the situation.
“this home has been recently gut-rehabbed so we assumed some updating was done (although it hasn’t been)”
IMO something is VERY wrong if the seller is representing the house as having been “recently gut-rehabbed” , as the OP states in his/her 2:08 post, and none of this work has been done.
3:33 Here… I forgot to mention that Heimer tend to significantly overestimate the cost of repairs… Also a new roof is a major issue that we didn’t have, you should probably try to negociate something based on that.