Help
Hi, my wife and I just bought an Eichler in Concord. We thought that the place was in pretty fair condition, that is, until the previous owners moved out. Day one of our move in we discover that the place is infested with spiders. There are webs everywhere, all over the garage, and any place above 6 feet. We thought that it was bad enought that the previous owners did not even really clean the place, but, then we discover that the house is infested with spiders and that the previous owners decided to leave behind over 300 pounds of trash.
The second day I discovered that their dogs had ruined the paneling in the utility/laundry room. The dogs had scratched almost through the panels.
I decided to tear out the ugly 70's vinyl flooring when I discovered that either their dogs, or the owner's before them had a horse who pissed all over everything.
Perhaps the piss was to cover the aweful mold smell...
While ripping up the vinyl. I noticed black mastic and outlines of the 9x9 tiles which had been there at one point....
So, because of the mold and piss soaked panels, I decided to tear out the paneling in the utility room. I can not tell you how many spiders and eggs I found.
The last thing I wanted to do is tear out original pieces to this house.
I am a purest when it comes to historical art. I intend on bringing this beautiful house back to it's original glory.
Back to the tile issue...
I did discover in tact tiles in the family room, hidden under a torn up cigarette burned carpet which should have been tossed 30 years ago, and under a 1/16 inch thick layer of carpet glue.
You might ask why did you not see all of this before you signed contract etc... Well, the previous owners had the place filled with there stuff basically hiding the serious flaws. Even when I did a final walk through three days before move in they still had 90% of there stuff in the house.
So I need some advice... Our budget is shrinking because of the unforseen disaster we have to clean...
My wife is going to give birth any day now, and I can not have this place a hazard to my wife and soon to be daughter... So, do I carefully soak and remove the tiles and mastic? or should I hire a hazmat team to come in and take this crap out?
Now for the spiders....
As this is our first home/Eichler, I'd like to know if this is what Joseph Eichler meant by bringing the outside into the home. Or was this place just neglected for 30+ years?
Also, we would like to bring our kitchen back to the original style, with all original cabinets. If you, or someone you know is planning a remodel of your original kitchen please let me know.
Buying your first home is always a little overwhelming. Next time you buy a house, make sure that everything is out before the walkthrough. Old houses need repairs.
Spiders, grain weevils, roaches, mice, rats, gophers, and assorted vermin are normal. Right now my husband is walking around our un-neglected house vacuuming moths and spider webs. Last weekend I checked and refilled the rodent bait stations outdoors. That's a normal part of home owning. (In my last non-Eichler I had chickens and also had to do battle with racoons and coyotes!)
The vinyl tiles and mastic have a very small amount of asbestos in them. They are NOT a hazard if you just let them sit there. You do not have to worry about "air quality". As long as you don't sand them, there is absolutely no harm that can result from them. Cover them with another type of flooring or remove them first. Removal is a perfectly safe operation as long as you aren't breaking them up enough to create dust. Search this forum for recommendations for mastic removers and flooring choices. A good scrub down with bleach and water should eliminate urine odor.
Sorry about the paneling. Most of ours is pretty good, but the bedrooms were painted electric blue, so they are going to get sheetrocked and possibly covered with new paneling. There are various substitutes you can get to replace damaged paneling. Search this forum.
There is also a law stating that the selling party must disclose all "known" issues and if any "unknown" issues arise within a certain time period, the selling party is liable for the costs.
Check with your agent or a realestate lawyer.
I am surprised that this did not come out on inspection. Very strange. Did you have a RE agent represent you in the purchase?
We had an agent who represented both parties. I have now discovered that our termite infestation is massive and repairs will be extensive. the inspection company says that they will tajke care of everything, but I doubt they will once they see how bad it is.
To make things worse, I found out that the previous home owners were well aware of the termites and hid their presence.
Read your contract and find out if the home sale was "as is" i.e. with termites and all.
If not then the owners were legally obligated to tell you about the termites and other issues.
This may be something you could pursue in small claims court if your out of pocket to fix everything will be $5,000 or less. There are no lawyers allowed in small claims court which is why it is a less expensive alternative to a civil suit. I would still find a real estate lawyer to consult with if only for one hour just to see what your legal rights are as a home buyer.
