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Posted by DerbyDad03 on January 24, 2007, 7:46 pm
A hopeful home buyer asked: "So are you saying that even the home
inspector won't be able to tell me if its a good bet or my worst
nightmare without drilling holes into the ceiling?"
What we're saying is that it's *possible* that the home inspector won't
be able to tell where the problem is. On the other hand, (s)he might go
upstairs and find a gap around the shower stall where there should be
grout or caulk. The exact location of leak can be hard to determine
simply by visible and/or physical evidence of damage. As the good
Reverend pointed out, water will sometimes follow a hidden path due to
surface tension and not show up anywhere near the actual leak. No one
in the group can say for certain whether or not the inspector will be
able to determine the problem without some type of access to the
damaged area.
So, get your contingencies lined up ahead of time, make sure the
inspector has *your* best interests in mind and don't let the real
estate agent be the one making the call about the repair.
> So are you saying that even the home inspector won't be able to tell me
> if its a good bet or my worst nightmare without drilling holes into the
> ceiling? We actually got the seller to negotiate because of this
> problem. My real estate agent thinks the work will be done in the ball
> park of about $5000. I am also planning to getting a bathroom guy on
> the day of home inspection to see what these experts think........
>
>
>
>
> > dissident wrote:
> > > I am a novice in home repair and yet I am buying my first home which is
> > > conditional upon home inspection, during which I plan to find out about
> > > the problem which is haunting me. This house is 6 years old and was
> > > rented out so, of course, the tenants didn't bother to take care of the
> > > house. What I see is a stain from water leak on the ceiling of the
> > > living room, which seems to follow the outline of the shower stall in
> > > the bathroom right upstairs. It is about 4-5 inches long, straight line
> > > kind of, and is on only one side. Then there is another stain about a
> > > couple of feet away near the smoke detector. This is more kind of
> > > circular stain ..... there is the upstairs hallway here and the
> > > upstairs is carpeted..... I can also feel that that section of the
> > > carpet is kind of raised as if someone spilled a whole lot of water
> > > there....surrounding is ok.
>
> > > So now my question to you is that do you (experts and experienced
> > > people out there) think this may be something major ??? I know that the
> > > home inspector probably will find this out...but I still want to know
> > > about the experience people have had. Can a big jug of water if spilled
> > > can show stain on downstairs ceiling like in this 2nd stain I am
> > > talking about?? Any advice on what to look for and what to ask on the
> > > day of home inspection??
>
> > > Thanks for the help!!To properly assess this will very likely mean opening
> > *some* part of the structure. Whether it is the ceiling
> > or a wall adjacent to the shower or...who knows.
>
> > You simply will not know the cause(s) nor how to repair
> > until the opening is made. Sure, you and the inspector
> > can gaze into a crystal ball.......
>
> > Make the sale contingent upon the seller rectifying the
> > problem and restoring all surfaces, or....low ball
> > the offer.
>
> > Jim- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -
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