Chat Plus

Real estate editor Maryann Haggerty and columnist Elizabeth Razzi respond to a question adapted from a recent online chat.

Q Takoma Park: We bought a house late last year, and there has been frequent water leakage in one corner of the unfinished basement -- enough to make a couple of small puddles and to stain the wall up to five feet from the ground. Is this something that the seller should have disclosed? Will we have to pay for the repairs? When we bought, we were in a drought so it was hard to tell.

A Elizabeth Razzi: If the sellers knew there was a water problem in the basement, they had an obligation to disclose that to you. It could be difficult now, however, to prove that the water problem existed before you bought the house and that they knew about it. As you note, there was a drought at the time.

Maryann Haggerty: It is indeed possible that the problem is a new one. Soil changes depending on conditions such as drought. Dry soil contracts; when it rains, the soil absorbs water and expands. Clay in particular absorbs a lot of water. This shrinking and swelling over the years can crack and shift foundations.

E.R.: Now you need to do some detective work to find the source of that leak. Start with the easy fixes first. Make sure the soil around your foundation slopes away from the house, bringing in extra dirt if necessary. Make sure rain gutters are clean, and that they're big enough to handle a downpour. If those changes don't help, it's time to call in pros for more expensive fixes, which might include re-sealing the foundation or installing a sump pump. Unless you fix the problem, of course, you will have a duty to tell future buyers about it.

The next Real Estate Live chat will be at 1 p.m. March 21.