Crawl space mold, standing water, shifted columns, and well water

[Michael Geraci]

Hey BP!

Just got an inspection report back on a SFH in the Midwest and I have some questions.

The house is a single level with no basement and a crawl space which houses the ductwork and structural members.

The report turned up some standing water in the crawl space as well as some mold on the wood framing. It also showed that some of the support columns were shifted and "improperly supported" and rusted.

Finally, the house is on well water and the owner had run a temporary electric heater from the main house over to the garage where the well room is to keep the pipes from freezing.

Can anyone offer some insight on these issues? Is mold/standing water in a crawl space a no go or is this common and easy to take care of? Is it expensive to fix the columns? What is normal for well rooms? Do they have a permenant heater?

Would love any insight on this, as we have to make a decision whether or not to back out of the deal.

Thanks!

[Bob Woelfel]

@Michael Geraci  Without seeing the inspection report it's difficult to tell.  I would first talk to the inspector and get his/her gauge on how bad it is.  How much time is left in your inspection period?  If you've got a few days yet I would get a foundation company to take a look and give you a bid.  You could have a plumbing leak which is causing the water, but most likely it's either gutters or a drainage issue around the foundation.  These are relatively simple fixes if that is indeed the issue.   They should be able to take care of the support issue as well.

Are you buying this to live in, flip or hold long term?  If you flip this most of these issues will need to be handled right away.  If you live in it or hold it long term you can fix some of these things over time provided they inspector isn't saying they need to be addressed immediately.  I would try to find a more permanent solution for the heating issue, particularly if you are holding this as a rental.  You don't want to have to be worrying about this constantly during the winter months and having to visit the property to make sure everything is ok.