Marketing and Selling a House with Known Leaks

Does your real estate agent have a good poker face?

Home buyers… there are still real estate agents in NZ who are willing to say whatever it takes to get pen on paper. Most agents are above board and ethical… but you get the odd one who needs to make money and has a good poker face when it comes to telling you how ”they don’t know of any leaking issues with the home“. (Even if there is water dripping through a ceiling like the case below).

Today was a classic example which you may be able to relate too, or it may sound familiar. It went something like this…

1) It was a rainy day and the home owner decided they were sick and didn’t want anyone around at the house. We put the heat on them for cancelling the infrared inspection at the last minute. The buyer got his way and we got into the home to do the inspection as per original plan.

2) We get in the house, and the first thing I see is the cleaner with a mop and bucket in hand? So much for no-one being welcome that day. You’ll see why the cleaner was really there in a moment.

3) Before I started the thermal imaging inspection, the real estate agent tells me “the home owners are pedantic and very fussy, and if there were any leaks they would have had them fixed”. I took her on face value (Turns out to be ‘poker face’ value)

4) The very first room I find a leak with the infrared camera… and this continued for the first 3 rooms. 3 rooms, three leaks. Hmmm.

5) I then see the cleaner moping the tiled floor in the next room we were about to moisture test. She then leaves, and what do you think the first thing we see is? Water dripping from the top of the door frame onto the floor! The cleaner was staying one step ahead of us moping up the leaks hoping we wouldn’t see any signs! Are you kidding me!!! She did this on two occasions and got caught both times. Little did she know that a thermal imaging camera will see the leaks anyway.

6) To cut a long story short, there was a total of 14 leaks throughout the house, and 12 of these were big ones. Here’s just one of them…

Water dripping onto the floor through this leak

I like most agents, and I get plenty of work through them… and most of realtors do disclose everything for their own sake… but some just aren’t following the rules.

Summary: You can’t point the finger at the agent if you buy a home that leaks because you didn’t get it tested first on your own accord. Regardless of the marketing and verbal representations made when buying a house, it’s up to you to do your own research.

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Client Comments... (All testimonials can be verified as true and correct... updated for 2010)

I enlisted Dean’s services 2 days prior to “D-day” of us purchasing our first NZ home. Dean proved to be an extremely efficient and knowledgeable technician. He has a very good understanding not only of his specific field, but also of general building requirements. He was easily able to spot, and talk me through, existing as well as potential problems, and was very open to answering the myriads of questions I fired his way. Most importantly, he gave me non-biased answers, allowing me to make an objective decision regarding the purchase of a potentially leaky home. Thanks again for excellent service Dean! Simone P - Titirangi

We have lived for some time in an old weather board cottage which we have renovated over a period of years. Recently we discovered a leak, so we googled “find a leak” and found a comprehensive and detailed website of the same name. Next we spoke to Dean and an appointment was made. He was punctual, courteous and his experience was obvious. His thermal imaging equipment is ‘state of the art’ and the source leak was quickly detected.

Dean was able offer practical solutions which we can act on with confidence. As a result of this experience we would recommend the use of his skills before the sale or purchase of any property to be reassured as to the integrity of the property. Dean is personable, a superb communicator and a true professional. Maggie & David M - Waiatarua

Dean was very professional and I would highly recommend anyone that is thinking of buying a property to get thermal testing done. Fortunately it was by pure chance that I even knew these tests were available after speaking to my neighbour and he advising me. The house we were looking at had water leaks and Dean has saved me many thousands of dollars in the long run. David G - West Auckland

Dean is a very professional and friendly guy. He goes step by step through the process which is very valuable. When he finds a potential problem he immediately notified to me and discussed with me in details on what actions could be taken. Anyway no major problems were detected in the property I wanted to purchase. However I greatly advice anyone to obtain Dean's professional service to make sure the property is in a satisfactory condition. Robbie P - Glen Eden

Thank you very much for the great service, very professional and appreciated the time taken to explain the process. Very glad to know that with all the stigma that goes with plaster houses, ours is not a leaky home. The report has helped pin-point some areas for maintenance which we plan to undertake sooner rather than later..Thanks again. Heather M - Maraetai

We were a bit apprehensive about what the leak detection might find, but found Dean’s confident, friendly and very capable approach extremely reassuring. While we were greatly relieved by the findings concerning the exterior of the house, Dean’s thoroughness in looking also for internal issues uncovered a surprise bath leak. Thanks Dean for solving the mysterious odour that’s been bothering us for the last 6 months! We highly recommend Dean to anyone with even the slightest concerns regarding moisture in their homes. Kevin - West Auckland

Thank you Dean for your prompt service. I was given 2 days to have a Building inspection done which found some dampness in the house. It was well worth the money spent as Dean found some other damp issues. He was very thorough and very informative and even though there were issues with the house they were all fixable so I was then able to re negotiate the purchase price. I would recommend anyone buying a house- any type of building structure to have ’Thermo Imaging’ as part of a building inspection. Thank you once again. Maree, Glendowie

We had some concerns about a recently renovation house including a lower basement. Being nosey I popped around to join Dean on his inspection. Apart from enjoying meeting him, Dean was enormously informative, approachable & friendly, I found the technology & information I gleaned fascinating. Fortunately, we identified no significant issues with the property. It gave us great peace of mind & we can enjoy our new home knowing we have bought a dry, water tight property with with hidden surprises. Thank you Dean for your help & reassurance. To my mind it is certainly worth the modest sum versus potential costs you could incur which could also mar one of most expensive purchases of your life.. Diane - Devonport

Read 20 more testimonials Here!