Would you stay away from a house with ceilings like this?

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Would you stay away from a house with ceilings like this?

Melissa Richard
Member since 2020 · 10 posts · 3 votes

Hello everyone, 

Happy summer.  

TDLR:  Would you stay away from a house with ceilings like this?  

There is not much to choose from where I live. (NH taxes are hefty, making even "cheap" houses have expensive payments.)

I have been looking into real estate investing for some time and have been looking into both 2-units and lower-cost single families for myself to start out with.  One of the lower-cost single family houses near me now has some oddly-textured and peeling ceilings like this.  

Even the seller agent said the house is overpriced and the buyer is moving to another state and doesn't want to fix anything due to the market. (The seller agent even mowed the lawn here if that paints a picture.)

Anyway, do ceilings like this almost certainly mean there was water damage and that I should stay away in case of structural issues in the ceiling, mold, etc?

The house is from 1950 or so. This the the bottom floor but there were imperfections in other rooms and upstairs as well.  This is the worst of it, I believe.

I am aware that an inspector can only check out what they can see on the surface.

Thanks.

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Matthew DennehyPro Member
Concord, NH · Member since 2016 · 86 posts · 82 votes
5y

Melissa that is a very common ceiling imperfection in NH. New England I general has a lot of old housing, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Most people maintain them in place, or cover with ceiling tiles, until the point where it makes sense to replace with drywall, if ever. 

As far as leaks, a moisture meter will tell you if it’s an active leak. Alternatively, my go to home inspector uses a FLIR thermal camera on every inspection and can tell a lot about what’s happening in the walls. 

Hopefully that helps. 

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  • Michael Kilkenny
    Member since 2021 · 1 post · 1 vote
    5y

    Melissa,

    Not claiming to be an expert here, but I live in a 1950’s house - it is plaster and every single ceiling has cracks.  It is very common for houses this age.  Mine don’t have discoloration.  I would be a bit perplexed with the discoloration if there isn’t some plumbing above it - though having water/sewer pipes there might mean fixing some old pipes, not cost free, but not too scary.  If you have significant discoloration and can’t figure out where water could have come from (in order to fix it), then I get very nervous.  I’ve had a couple home inspections (personal house and investment property), they gave me pretty good insights even from surface level stuff.  If you get the property inspected, have them include their opinion on the ceilings and then negotiate based on those results - I hate the idea of buying as-is unless you are an expert.  If the seller won’t budge once you’ve gotten quotes for repairs (if it gets that far), then it’s time to walk.


    Good luck!

    1Reply
  • David Johnson
    Fort Lauderdale · Member since 2021 · 27 posts · 22 votes
    5y

    I'm no expert, and don't have that much experience, but that to me looks like water was up in there at some point. What's directly above that spot? Bathroom or plumbing? 

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  • Michelle Fenn
    Real Estate Agent · Cleveland OH · Member since 2015 · 216 posts · 275 votes
    5y

    Tear down the ceiling and install 1/2 drywall.  When it's down fix any plumbing and electrical issues that become visible.    Of course you can buy a house with ceilings like this.

    2Reply
  • David Johnson
    Fort Lauderdale · Member since 2021 · 27 posts · 22 votes
    5y

    To add, you could also buy a water damage meter reader from Amazon, then return it after you've measured. 

    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wat...

    1Reply
  • Matthew DennehyPro Member
    Concord, NH · Member since 2016 · 86 posts · 82 votes
    5y

    Melissa that is a very common ceiling imperfection in NH. New England I general has a lot of old housing, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Most people maintain them in place, or cover with ceiling tiles, until the point where it makes sense to replace with drywall, if ever. 

    As far as leaks, a moisture meter will tell you if it’s an active leak. Alternatively, my go to home inspector uses a FLIR thermal camera on every inspection and can tell a lot about what’s happening in the walls. 

    Hopefully that helps. 

    2Reply
  • Alecia LovelessPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    @Melissa Richard That looks like the old plaster ceilings in my 100 year old house and my 110 year old house which cracked following water damage from an upstairs bathroom.

    You can paint over them with something like oil based Kilz to hide the stain and then ceiling white paint and leave the slight crack. Then the cracks will get bigger over time.

    Or, after you repair the plumbing problem you can tear out the damaged area and fix it correctly but you have to have someone who knows how. Or, patch it in with Sheetrock compound which may crack later too.

    1Reply
  • Melissa Richard
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 10 posts · 3 votes
    1y

    Thank you, everyone.  I ended up buying a different house back then.  Sorry for the lack of response!  I appreciate all of your detail input.

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