Walk through “discoveries”

What are you looking for at the walk through?

In simple terms, you are looking for two main categories of “red flags”. The first is, IF, as a result of an inspection, the seller agreed (in writing) to repair or replace something, you are confirming that the issue has been corrected. So, for example, if the seller agreed to repair a sliding door that didn’t lock, you are checking that it now does lock properly.  The second category is defects that have occurred between the inspection and settlement. If the hot water heater is leaking, or if the air conditioning isn’t working, the seller needs to address those problems.

What are walk through discoveries?

The topic of this post is something outside of the issues discussed above. I use the term “walk through discoveries” to describe hidden defects that were “there all along” but were not evident. The most common example is faded wood floors that are evident only once area rugs have been removed, which normally happens just prior to the walk through, when the sellers move out. Another frequent example is damage on floors or the lower portions of walls in basements that have not been visible due to boxes or other items being stacked against the walls. Unlike a pipe that has begun to leak, or a window pane that cracked a few days ago, the floor condition hasn’t changed since the contract was signed, even though the buyer could not have seen it.

What about disclosure?

As long as any of these hidden defects were disclosed in the seller’s disclosure, the buyer has no recourse in most cases. Additionally, remember the wording on the disclosure: it asks the seller if he was AWARE of any problems. Most sellers would not realize that the floor beneath area rugs would look different from the rest of the floor until the move out. So a seller could, quite realistically, have been unaware at the time of filling out the disclosure.

So what can you do about it?

No amount of due diligence, inspections or caution can eliminate the possibility of a surprise when you purchase a home. However, being aware of some of these potential hidden problems reduces the likelihood. If you are not having an inspection done, it may not be feasible to lift up the edge of an area rug or move something away from a wall. It might, though, be possible to directly ask the seller if he could lift up a few feet of an area rug and tell you whether the floor looks darker underneath. You could also ask if he could move a few boxes along the basement walls to let you know if there is any dampness or damage. You might have a cooperative seller and you might not, but at least keeping these “hidden discoveries” in mind will leave you better prepared.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973