basement with water damage

[Louie E.]

Found a good deal.  Except the basement though undeveloped had previous water damage from water seeping in from surrounding since ground is flat and not sloped away from the house.  Will this be resolved if I bring in a landscaper to slope the ground outward?  Thanks for the help. 

[Richard F.]

Aloha,

Not much info to go on, but I'll take a stab at it...
IF your basement is a generally typical cinder block/CMU or concrete, any "sealing" needs to be on the outside of the walls. If you use any of a variety of coatings on the inside, you are allowing the moisture to penetrate the entire wall. This will leach the lime out of the mortar and concrete, weakening the wall over time. Assuming the basement wall extends somewhat above grade, then yes, you definitely want to regrade to create a slope that will direct water in the most natural direction, without creating new problems for a neighbor. You may need to cut a swale to properly redirect flow across the property. Then address the gutters and downspouts if needed. A qualified landscaper should be able to determine how best to handle the runoff. Sump pumps in the basement to remove water that is getting through is best used only when there is a high water table that the basement is located in/on.