Before you buy a house, whether you’re buying it to live in or to resell, you need to make sure you’re checking for basement issues. This is especially true in a humid area like Maryland, where high levels of humidity can cause serious basement problems over time. Basement issues can seriously impact the value of a home, and if you’re planning to live in it yourself, you’re probably going to have to repair those basement issues to live in it comfortably. If you’re hoping to avoid Baltimore basement repair, here’s how you can check for basement issues before you buy a house.

1. Ask Questions From the Realtor

The first thing to do is make sure you ask plenty of questions of the realtor before you make your purchase. The realtor, of course, wants to make the house look as good as possible, but they’re supposed to inform you accurately about the current state of the house. If there are big, glaring problems with the basement, the realtor may let you know a little more about these concerns.

Because it’s the realtor’s job to make the house look great, however, you shouldn’t rely entirely on the realtor’s assessment of the house. Additionally, there may be problems happening in the basement that the realtor doesn’t know about. That’s why it’s important to do your own research far past just whatever the realtor tells you when you ask questions.

2. Look at Existing Assessments

Before someone puts a house on the market, they should get someone to come in and take a look at the structural integrity of the home. In many areas, it’s a legal requirement to ensure that someone isn’t just selling off a house at market price when there are serious structural issues reducing the home’s value. Those assessments should be available if you’re interested in buying the home.

If the current owner of the home hasn’t done an assessment of the structural integrity, you might be able to have them pay for a structural integrity assessment. Especially if you’re genuinely interested in buying, but you’re uncertain about buying because of potential structural integrity problems, the seller might want to capture your purchase by getting a structural integrity assessment.

3. Hire Someone to Look at the Basement

Even if the seller of the home pays for a structural integrity assessment, that might not be enough for you to feel comfortable with the assessment. After all, because the owner is the one paying for it, they may know how to find less-reputable companies who are willing to give them the most favorable assessment possible with the current state of the house.

The answer to this problem is to hire someone yourself. Even though it may be a little bit more expense for you, it can put your mind at rest, and the cost is significantly less than what you’ll pay for the home overall. Plus, when you hire a reputable company in the Maryland area, you’ll know they can look for all the problems that are common in the area.

4. Plan for Any Basement Repairs You Might Need

Once you have the assessment in hand, you can start to plan for basement repairs. Talk to whoever did your structural integrity assessment or look for a local basement repair expert. Ask them for an estimate on the cost of the basement repairs before you give a bid for the house; extreme basement problems may be more expensive than simple ones.

Once you have an estimate of the basement repairs, you can give a bid for the house with these problems in mind. That way, you’ll be able to incorporate the estimate into the bid for the house. Be prepared for them to push back and expect you to pay more of the repairs. Regardless, however, having more information is always a good way to be prepared for buying a home.