{"id":20251,"date":"2020-11-25T08:20:07","date_gmt":"2020-11-25T16:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=20251"},"modified":"2026-03-30T10:06:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T17:06:59","slug":"selling-a-house-with-a-leaky-basement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/selling-a-house-with-a-leaky-basement\/","title":{"rendered":"Selling a House With a Leaky Basement: Do You Need to Fully Waterproof?"},"content":{"rendered":"

During a one-inch rain, 1,250 gallons of water<\/a> will fall on a roof of a 2,000 square foot house. And as a homeowner with a perpetually leaky basement, you\u2019re used to being at the mercy of the rain gods. Every time it storms or the snow thaws, you tip-toe down to the stairs for the verdict: Did the basement manage to stay dry?<\/p>\n

You\u2019re so used to seeing water down there by now that it hardly fazes you when you see water pooling in the same old spot. But as you look ahead to selling a home with a leaky basement, you wonder if buyers will be so cavalier.<\/p>\n

Hiding water damage in your home can result in a lawsuit<\/a>, so don\u2019t trust the hearsay on your block from neighbors who probably also have wet basements on this matter. Consult our guide with advice from a Rochester, New York real estate agent who\u2019s seen a lot of leaky basements and basement waterproofing specialists on your three main options:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Do nothing about the leak, but share everything you know.<\/li>\n
  2. Direct water away from the house to stop the leak.<\/li>\n
  3. Fully waterproof the basement and provide your receipts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"A<\/a>
    <\/a> Source: (Pixabay \/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    1.<\/b> Do nothing about the leak, but share everything you know.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

    This might sound like the easiest route \u2014 but there are drawbacks to it. Water damage or a known water leak is just about the last problem a buyer wants to inherit. Left untreated, water in a home can lead to a host of other issues, including structural damage<\/a>, mold<\/a>, and damaged possessions and furnishings. And academic studies show that past flooding events can drop a home\u2019s value by 15%<\/a> or more.<\/p>\n

    However, it\u2019s one scenario to have a basement that flooded with a foot of water due to a big storm or hurricane, and another when the unfinished portion gets a little damp during certain times of year. In top-selling real estate agent Mark Siwiec\u2019s<\/a> Rochester, New York market, buyers expect<\/i> any pre-war home to have some sort of moisture seeping in.<\/p>\n

    \u201cOlder structures are always going to have some degree of water infiltration,\u201d explains Siwiec, who\u2019s worked in real estate for 40 years. \u201cLocally, we experience it for a few weeks in March or April, during the spring thaw when the ice is melting outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

    So as a first step, get the opinion of a local real estate agent<\/a> on the market sentiment toward leaky basements. Then, if you decide to take this route, be prepared to do the following:<\/p>\n

    Check up on your local real estate disclosures.<\/h3>\n

    When everyone on your block has a leaky basement, you might be tempted to let that little detail slip under the radar when you sell your home. However, failing to disclose the matter could put you in legal trouble <\/a>with a buyer down the line.<\/p>\n

    Your agent will provide you with the proper disclosure forms for your state<\/a>. In many state disclosures, you\u2019ll find a \u201cYes\/No\u201d checkbox asking about evidence of water in the basement in the property condition section. If you check \u201cYes,\u201d you may need to provide more information below the response.<\/p>\n

    \"A<\/a>
    <\/a> Source: (Michigan Real Estate Disclosure<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    If it\u2019s not under property conditions, it might be under a section for known damage, such as in Alaska\u2019s<\/a> disclosure form, or the section on basement and crawl spaces like Kansas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \"A<\/a>
    <\/a> Source: (Alaska Real Estate Disclosure<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"A<\/a>
    <\/a> Source: (Kansas Real Estate Disclosure<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Get \u201cTMI\u201d with it: Be specific.<\/h3>\n

    As you can see, many states have explicit disclosure requirements around water intrusion and water damage. Other state rules will allow you to make a blanket \u201cdisclosure disclaimer\u201d<\/a> while some put the onus on buyers to check for problems with a \u201ccaveat emptor\u201d approach.<\/a> However, real estate experts advise erring on the side of disclosure, transparency, and honesty with any kind of \u201cmaterial fact<\/a>\u201d about a property that could impact its value, such as a water leak.<\/p>\n

    If you have a case of a rare but predictable (and manageable) leak, Siwiec says that sellers should go one step beyond the standard disclosure. In this type of scenario, if the leak is really no big deal, then tell buyers why<\/i>. The more information a buyer has about the leak and when it occurs, the more at ease they will feel about purchasing your home.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIf you can explain to buyers that it’s a two week period of time, that it\u2019s a rivet or trickle, I find that buyers really react to that. They love the specificity,\u201d explains Siwiec. So, even if the state disclosure is a simple \u201cYes\/No\u201d checkbox, use the addendum found at the end of the form to expound or have your agent relay the information to the buyer\u2019s agent.<\/p>\n

    Whatever you do, don\u2019t lie.<\/h3>\n

    It\u2019s possible for a buyer to sue you<\/a> over undisclosed water damage weeks or years after the sale occurs if they\u2019re able to prove you were aware of the issue at the time of sale. If they can show breach of contract or misrepresentation<\/a>, they may be able to come after you for costs to repair the water damage and coverage for their own attorney fees.<\/p>\n

    \"A<\/a>
    <\/a> Source: (Eva Elijas \/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    2. Direct water away from the home to stop the leak.<\/h2>\n

    Siwiec recommends that sellers try rerouting runoff away from the home externally before exploring costly basement projects. Here are a few solutions to test:<\/p>\n

    Change the slope of the dirt. <\/b><\/h3>\n

    According to SFGate Home Guides, a lawn should slope \u201c2 to 3 inches for every 10 feet away from your house\u2019s foundation<\/a>.\u201d Without this slope, standing water can collect and cause water intrusion. Thankfully there can be a simple solution for this leak culprit: \u201cSometimes, all that\u2019s required is pitching the dirt away from the house, and boom, you\u2019ve solved the issue,\u201d explains Siwiec.<\/p>\n

    More formally known as regrading, this solution aims to prevent pooling in the wrong places by enhancing the slope away from your home in key places. To change the slope of your lawn, a professional landscaper will use a grader and fill dirt<\/a> to gradually change the level of the yard, a service that costs $1,975<\/a> on average, according to HomeAdvisor. Due to the elements, the lawn and slope will naturally erode over time, so the newly graded lawn will require some upkeep.<\/p>\n

    Extend your downspouts.<\/h3>\n

    If your basement leaks most often during a storm or after a winter thaw, check your downspouts. Your downspouts collect the water from the roof<\/a> and are supposed to tunnel it away from the foundation. However, if your downspout deposits water at the base of your home, the runoff could seep into the basement, causing a leak.<\/p>\n

    To prevent this, you can try installing a downspout extension. An extension should run at least three feet away from the house<\/a>, but up to 10 feet if the yard is flat. Extensions, like this affordable option from Amerimax<\/a>, should easily slip over your existing spout and divert the flow of water from the base of the home out into the yard. You can even cover a low profile extension with mulch or decorative stones to make it blend with your landscaping.<\/p>\n

    Downspout extenders, though easy and cheap, might not fix the leak 100%. You may need to pair it with regrading or another water-diverting solution.<\/p>\n

    Put out rain barrels.<\/h3>\n

    Another idea: Place a rain barrel<\/a> under your downspout to collect and hold water for later use. The Natural Resources Defense Council recommends using a rain barrel<\/a> not only to prevent house leaks, but also to collect and conserve rainwater for washing the car or watering the lawn in the future. You can get a basic 60-gallon rain barrel, like this one from Great American Rain Barrel<\/a> available at Wayfair for under $100.<\/p>\n

    While these outdoor solutions can help you put a stop to basement leaks for a manageable cost, they don\u2019t relieve you from your disclosure obligations as a seller. You\u2019ll still want to let the buyer know about the history of the water leak, as well as any measures you took to address it.<\/p>\n

    3. Do a full-fledged waterproofing.<\/h2>\n

    If you want to make your basement watertight and market a dry basement to buyers, you\u2019ll need to explore a complete interior waterproofing project. \u201cWe always recommend a homeowner waterproof their entire basement, which means putting a full system around the entire perimeter of the home,\u201d says Flynn Cochran<\/a> SVP of Groundworks, which owns and helps operate over a dozen foundations and waterproofing businesses across the U.S. Here\u2019s what Cochran\u2019s process looks like, from start to finish:<\/p>\n

    Remove water-damaged materials.<\/h3>\n

    Waterproofing begins with the removal of any materials that have held moisture from previous leaks. That includes carpeting, waterlogged drywall, and flooring. This initial step allows you to start the waterproofing process from a clean slate, and strips any residual moisture from the room.<\/p>\n

    Install a drain.<\/h3>\n

    Depending on the size and severity of basement leakage, your waterproofing professional may recommend a French drain system, trenches in the yard, or an expeditor yard pipe system. These solutions range from $1,889 and $5,491<\/a> on average, and while each tackles the problem a little differently, they all involve digging a type of drainage ditch in the yard that guides moisture away from the foundation and basement of the home.<\/p>\n

    Put in an interior liner.<\/h3>\n

    An interior liner to prevent water intrusion can take different forms.<\/p>\n