Rental Property Investor · TX · Member since 2017 · 42 posts · 26 votes
Hi everyone, wanted to know what you guys thought. I am planning on purchasing a home in PA. Seller is selling it as is and will make no repairs. No sellers disclosure either. Seller will not turn on utilities for the inspection but signed in contract that they would. I would like to turn utilities for the day of inspection to assess all repairs/risks.
If I were to turn on utilities and if something went wrong (pipes burst, leaks, etc) who is liable?
Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
4y
@Rubin Thomas, in my market, the utility company won't turn on utilities unless you can show ownership, so you may have some problems getting them on without seller doing so. If they do get turned on, I believe seller would be liable for any issues as you do not own the house.
As for them signing contract saying they would but not choosing to, your likely only real world remedy is walk away and not buy house. Some things you can test for without utilities on, i.e. pressure testing gas lines and plumbing lines.
When I used to buy properties in foreclosure, I just took that stance that nothing worked, until proven otherwise. So no utilities meant I budgeted for new HVAC and appliances and some level of electrical and plumbing repairs. The extent of those was based on overall condition of house. If house was in complete shambles, I would assume all new electric and plumbing, if house was in pretty good overall condition, maybe a few thousand budgeted for repairs.