By Barry Stone
Dear Barry,
From a Realtor's perspective, it's sometimes hard to decide which problems justify the cancellation of a sale. Here's a classic example: On a recent home inspection, only five problems were found. Most were minor concerns such as leaves in the rain gutters and a missing outlet cover. The big issue involved squeaking floors. My client is very robust and the floors squeaked wherever he walked. The seller agreed to refasten the sub-floor with screws. This solved the problem for persons of average stature, but not for my large client. In fact, some of the floors flexed when he walked on them. As a result, he cancelled the sale. The seller had offered to make further repairs, but the buyer was no longer interested. Do you believe this was a valid reason to back out of the contract? --Larry
Dear Larry,
Every buyer has a personal perspective as to which types of defects constitute deal breakers. Some buyers are not deterred by issues as large as major foundation cracks, while others will run from seemingly routine disclosures. Some walk away at the mere mention of asbestos in an acoustic ceiling, while others find this to be no big deal. Some expect a seller to repair every nitpicky detail, including squeaky floors, while others are willing to buy "as-is."
Squeaky floors are common in homes with raised foundations and most buyers accept them as a personality aspect of the home. Usually additional sub-floor fasteners such as screws are sufficient to eliminate this minor problem. In your situation, the floor joists could probably use structural reinforcement. A few beams installed beneath the flexing floor joists might have neutralized the affects of your client's excess ballast. On the other hand, he'd probably be happier in a home with a concrete slab, supported by the superior rigidity of terra firma.
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