Don't Overlook The Status Of Your Sewer When Buying A New Home In NJ

ICUNJ warns its customers of unforeseen red flags that have potential of becoming a real estate nightmare.

ICUNJ encourages its customers to look beyond the four walls of your potential new home. It might be easier said than done, but be sure to investive beyond what your eyes can see before buying. .  

A cracked pipe underground, a litigious neighbor, a long list of code violations — these are the kinds of red flags that buyers should look out for to make sure that seemingly ideal house doesn’t turn out to be a money pit or some other type of real estate nightmare.

In 2015, Dena Ferrara Driscoll thought she had found her new home: a four-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath in South Philadelphia — an older house but one that looked well maintained and perfect for her, her husband and two children.

“We weren’t too worried something big was going to come up,” said Ms. Driscoll, 33, a grant writer for the School District of Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, they were wrong. “When the inspector came up from the basement, he had the grimmest look on his face,” Ms. Driscoll said. The reason: a cracked sewer pipe. Replacing it, the couple was told, would cost between $10,000 and $20,000.

“An older woman lived in the house,” Ms. Driscoll said. “She flushes the toilet only so many times a day. But a family of four? We were definitely going to create a problem with this sewer pipe.”

Their request for a credit to cover the work was denied, so they moved on and wound up buying a smaller house in the same neighborhood, but one where they didn’t have to worry about finding sewage in the basement.

Underground problems, bowed foundations, litigious homeowner associations and flips that are actually flops: A lot of things could put the brakes on a home purchase, and they might not be the things you notice while you’re at the open house. Here are three categories of red flags to keep in mind while you’re looking for that perfect house.


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