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Basement Sump pump impact on House Sale

DennisCTB Join Date: Nov 1998 Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ   Pics

2013-03-21          186432

On same topic of selling my Dad's place. When the house was built in 1959 the builder flipped the house so the basement was deeper than it should have been which pushed the basement into the water table.

We hand jack hammered the basement floor perimeter and put in a sump pump. So every spring when the water table rises it pumps water out and the basement is dry.

Only a couple of times in 50 years have we had a power outage which has caused a rise in water to cover the floor.

What do you guys think the best way to assure buyers that all will be OK?

1) Hardly ever happens so don't worry, 2 to 3 times in 50 years.
2) Put in Battery Backup system
3) Put in Battery Backup system and backup generator

I was so used to how things were in the house, that when the first realtor asked about the pump and how often if ever it ran, that after thinking about it, if I was a buyer I would drop my interest in the house based on the infrequent water issue.

Any thoughts?

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Basement Sump pump impact on House Sale

taogden Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 81 United States   Pics

2013-03-21          186433

I wouldn't worry about it. Any house with a basement is subject to flooding, it could come in through the windows, or through the floor. Having a sump you have mitigated the issue as well as can be required. In Colorado it is just a fact of life if you are going to have a basement and you have to take steps to protect your investment. ....

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Basement Sump pump impact on House Sale

hardwood Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa

2013-03-21          186434

Dennis;

I wouldn't worry too much about it, just tell a buyer how it is. I'd rather have a deep basement with a sump than a head bumper basment with no sump.
Both of our homes have deep basements with no sump, but both homes are on soil types with a lower water table, and very adequarte floor drains so no problems here.
I wouldn't swear to this but I think county code now requires a sump hole in the floor, but a pump is up to the owner, I think.
A cousin of mine used to own a home with I'm guessing a 300 gallon sewage sump below the basement floor with an automatic sump pump to pump all their sewage, basement drainage, laundry wateer, any water they used all to a city sewer line that was a few feet above their basement floor. Now that would have driven me away as a buyer, but he did sell it to someone.

Frank. ....

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Basement Sump pump impact on House Sale

DennisCTB Join Date: Nov 1998 Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ   Pics

2013-03-21          186438

Yup sewage trumps water :) Guess we'll have to see what happens when we list it. ....

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