Updated 14 days ago on . Most recent reply
Seller turned off heat prior to closing and pipes burst
We were scheduled to close on Dec 23rd, went for a final walkthru on 22nd and saw water pouring in the basement and like a foot of standing water. Upstairs was freezing and toilet bowls had ice. Heat was off and Chicago area had sub zero temperatures and it just started thawing that week.
Will you proceed or walk away? if we proceed, we want to fix and not the seller. We have called for advice and the conservative advice is pipes are behind walls and it has standing water and they will be damaged or burst when it thaws. Basement burst because it has an exposed door and we had temperatures in the upper 40s early this week. No plumber is willing to stand by an estimate of repair without opening walls etc.
The place is more than 100 years old.
Looking for any advice. Thanks
Most Popular Reply
I’ve bought a home with burst pipes and have dealt with pipes bursting in units I own. It can be a nightmare.
It could be just limited to an isolated pipe or multiple points.
To give you a very rough idea. I had about 30 different burst to fix in 2,000 SQFT home with 3 bathrooms. I spent about 15k to repair pipes, remediation of mold, fix drywall, new insulation. This DOES NOT include repairs that had to be made to flooring, damage tile from opening walls, etc.
The water damage in my case wasn’t even that bad.
Point being, it can get very bad. If you want the deal negotiate a major price reduction or walk.