Why home buyers should care about basement smells and repairs
In the fifth episode of the TC Hafford Basement Systems podcast, host Tony Hafford and operations manager John Finch tackle critical basement issues affecting home buyers and sellers. Drawing from his extensive 20-year real estate background, John highlights that the first thing prospective buyers often notice upon entering a basement is the smell. A musty or unusual odor can indicate underlying moisture problems, which raises red flags during the home buying process.
The discussion sheds light on common inspection concerns such as foundation cracks and air quality issues, both of which can significantly deter potential buyers or complicate sales. Tony and John emphasize the necessity of addressing these basement problems before selling a home. Proactive repairs not only enhance property value but can also yield benefits like transferable warranties for new homeowners.
John elaborates on his role at TC Hafford, sharing how he supports different teams to ensure smooth operations. He expresses his enthusiasm for analyzing data and problem-solving, a sentiment echoed by Tony, who appreciates the insights derived from these numbers.
As they delve deeper into the topic, John notes that odors in basements arise surprisingly frequently, potentially around 50% of the time he encounters buyers. Tony mentions that many sellers often realize they need to address their basement only when preparing to list their homes, which is often a missed opportunity for enjoyment and home improvement.
The conversation shifts towards the inspection process where John outlines common red flags inspectors encounter, such as cracks in the foundation and compromised air quality. Both he and Tony stress that while some buyers might dismiss dampness or musty smells, it's crucial for agents to address these concerns proactively to facilitate discussions with potential buyers.
Timing emerges as a crucial factor, particularly when sellers are preparing to close a deal. John indicates that any discovered issues should ideally be addressed months before listing to avoid last-minute scrambles, providing homeowners a chance to enhance their homes' marketability.
The hosts also share anecdotes of significant transformations their company has achieved for sellers who acted promptly, noting that unresolved basement issues can drastically diminish a home’s value—sometimes by as much as $100,000. The discussion naturally transitions to warranties and financing options, with John clarifying that warranties can indeed transfer to new homeowners, thereby adding extra value to the property.
For homeowners contemplating a sale, John recommends checking three main areas: the basement's structural integrity, the effectiveness of gutters to prevent moisture accumulation, and the insulation throughout the home. These checks can ensure a smoother process when listing the property.
As summer approaches, Tony hints at seasonal challenges like humidity and temperature fluctuations that can exacerbate moisture in basements. He advises proactive awareness and action to prevent any issues from escalating.
In a lighter moment, the episode wraps up with personal anecdotes of summer activities and favorite concerts from both hosts, showcasing a camaraderie that underscores their passion for their work and community.
This episode serves as a valuable reminder of the importance of basement care in real estate and the benefits of seeking expert guidance before making significant property decisions.
Transcript
Note: This is an auto-generated transcript from YouTube. Please be aware that there may be spelling or transcription errors.
It's episode five of the TC Hafford Basement Systems podcast. It's a captain here. Our friend Tony Hafford is back. Good morning, sir. Morning. How are you? Very good. Good to have you back. Who's on the TC Hafford basement systems podcast with us today? Brought John with me today. And uh John is our operations manager. He's fairly new to the team. He's been here with us about a year and uh a great asset to the team, great addition to the team. Very nice. Good to have you, John Finch. Thank you very much. Good to uh good to meet you. Good to be here. You're a newbie. There are a lot of people at TC Afford have been there a long time as you know. Operations manager. Where did you come from before you were working with Tony? Yeah. So, uh prior to working with Tony, I spent about 20 years in the real estate industry. Huh. Operations manager. Sounds like that does encompasses a lot of things. Tony, I kind of like to use the phrase I do all things operationy. Uh [laughter] um but uh really uh my my primary role is to support each of the departments, their managers, you know, help them with their day-to-day operations, uh give them the tools to succeed. What's something part of your job that would surprise people? I'm a big data junkie, so when I can get the numbers, when I can crunch things and see if the formulas work, it's it's really cool to see things input and then the output and where it goes from there. Tony, are you a data guy as well? Um, I love the numbers. I love the numbers, but I'm not necessarily disciplined to compile them, [laughter] right? So, once they're compiled and I get the numbers, I love the numbers going through them and and uh looking how to move the chest pieces. That's amazing. But yeah. Yeah. Someone else can do the math. Just give me the give [laughter] me the final result. I I try to make sure that all the numbers are accurate before they get to Tony. [laughter] That's amazing. So, you talked about a real estate background. Let's come at it from that point of view. In terms of all things basementy with TC Hardford, what is the first thing that buyers notice when they walk into a basement? The first thing that they notice hands down has got to be the smell. They walk down to the basement, it's the sniff test, right? They're looking at this home saying, "Is this the place for me to buy?" And if there's an odor, that's going to be the first thing they smell. I smell hockey bag. [laughter] That hockey bag smell. How often does an issue come up for real estate deals? I mean, you did it for for 20 years. How often does does the basement situation come up for people who are buying? I mean, the truth of that is it depends on whether or not TC Hafford has been in their basement before. But there you go. Uh, you know, I'd say probably about 50% of the time you walk down and there's at least some sort of an odor, whether it's a musty smell or maybe somebody's cat litter box, but right, uh, you know, usually there's something that it's foreign to them because it's not their home yet. Yep. Tony, do a lot of people call you when they're starting to sell a house? We never took care of our basement and now we have to. Do you see that a fair amount of time? We do. We We will see that and we'll see people that uh like, "Well, I've dealt with this for 20 years and now I'm going to fix it cuz I'm going to sell it." That's the worst one. That's the worst one because, you know, they're going to fix it for someone else instead of enjoying it themselves. That's exactly. but also new new uh buyers if there is an issue with the basement or they feel there might be they'll they will call us to take a look. John, what are the most common red flags that inspectors find when they're in that real estate cycle of inspection? Sure. Some of the common things that I've seen over the years, you know, if there are cracks in the foundation that look, you know, like they would be a big red flag, uh, lolly columns or or some other type of support structure that is out of place or not in its right position or looks like it's deteriorating, right? Air quality so important, I I imagine, as well. Is that something that buyers care about? Do they talk about that with you? um when you were doing it as on the real estate side and something that DC Hafford can help with. Absolutely. Most of them pick it up right away when you walk into a basement, you know, you can feel the dampness, you can smell something musty. Everybody first thing they go to, oh my god, there must be mold, which isn't always the case, but if there's moisture, that's always a possibility. Yeah. Um the buyers that don't necessarily recognize it, hopefully their agents are also pointing that out so it can be a conversation piece. Tony, you talked about it's so sad that people have put up with, you know, a bad basement situation, haven't called you earlier. What kind of timeline do you see in terms of how far out people are taking care of their basement to be able to sell their home? I mean, if you're if you're getting ready to uh sell your home and there's an issue that you really feel needs to be addressed, uh a couple months out at a minimum just to get figured out what you want to do, get on a schedule and get it done so so that you can get the home sold with the with the work done. Yeah. Yeah, I was so blown away um on our last podcast in terms of how much work you all do even before you go to somebody's house in terms of the planning and and maybe John, you touch on on that as well in terms of it's incredible. You've got people in a room discussing somebody's particular situation way before you go in. Right. Absolutely. That's uh that's amazing. All right. So, that's on the good side, the timeline. What happens, John, on the timeline when we're getting ready to close and there are issues? Yeah, it it's all about the timing of when the discovery of the issue is there, we can fix any of the problems. The sooner we know about it, the better it can be planned for. Um, in a case that it isn't able to be addressed and and solved immediately prior to closing for the buyer to move in, ready to go. Uh certainly it's something that if in their transaction they can escrow for those funds and we can have a plan in place to have a date on the books and put things in the ground. Have you had situations where people were literally at closing and you've gotten that panicked phone call from from sellers before of like oh my gosh this thing may not go through. Has that happened Tony? Yeah that that stuff happens. That stuff happens. It's life and uh you know uh it's uh you know try to make stuff happen. do everything we can to make it happen for them. And the other thing is like and Tony alluded to it, get it done now because having that that TC Hafford basement system in your basement ahead of time has got to increase the value of of the home. Like it's not an issue. Absolutely. I can think of a very specific case. There was a seller who had not contacted us yet, had their property under contract for sale three separate times, three separate buyers. Whoa. The fourth time it was about to fall apart. We got involved, their foundation walls were pretty much caving in and and we put in our stable lock wall. We were able to save the deal and get it sold. And you know that cost the seller in their value of their home upwards of $80 to $100,000 in value easily. Wow. Tony, when you buy a home, let's say that has uh a beautiful basement system in it, do those warranties transfer over to the new owner if I buy that house? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. It's a fully transferable warranty to a to the new homeowner. Amazing. John, you've seen deals saved then become because of the work that you all have done. Absolutely. And actually, a deal I can comment on is one that happened way before I even joined the company. Uh-huh. About 15 years ago, my brother was purchasing a property up in Still Water up in Oldtown and um unique scenario where the house wasn't actually built on the foundation. It was built somewhere else and then moved to a new location. Yeah. Set on a block foundation that was about 60 ft long, 20 ft wide that was supposed to fit it, but all the walls were caving in. During the middle of the transaction with the inspections, we ended up calling TC Hafford and they put in a a whole bunch of wall anchors that still sit there today. And this is before you this before you were working. Exactly. You know, and it's doing its job and it's been great. That's amazing. What's the best part of your job, John Finch? What do you like best about it? You're what 10 11 months in. What are you loving about working with TC Herford? Two things specifically. The people are great. Yeah. Uh it really feels like family. I came in was welcomed with open arms and and instantly felt like I was at home. Yeah. Um, and then the ability to be problem solvers to to creatively look at every unique whether it's what I'm working on operationally or what it's they're doing out in the field. It's really cool to see here's this here's a problem and we can create and design a solution for it. That sounds like that's that's right. Something you would say too that was that the passion for you is like you know fixing it's solving the problem, right? Solving the problem. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. That's amazing. Tony, we've talked about this before. I think it's worth talking again in terms of finance options. People are are listening right now. And if listen, if you're buying or selling or in real estate or anything, this is this podcast is your new best friend um with the expertise that these guys are are are talking about today. Um talk to us about financing options working with with uh TC Hafford. Yeah. So, we've got a a couple of great uh financing companies we work with and they make you set them up with nice comfortable monthly payments. What's one thing, John, homeowners should check today before listing or buying a home? What they what should they check on? Yeah, I guess I'd actually say three specific things. Uh first being their basement. Is it sound? Are there structural concerns? Is it dry? Is it wet? Yep. What does it smell like? We can take care of all that, right? Second thing, do they have the proper gutters to make sure that water is not getting to the basement to begin with? Smart. And the third thing is, what's the insulation like in their home, whether it be in their basement or their attic? Because if you think of the house as a whole system, and if we're trying to make sure it's dry, but also nice and warm and not getting damp or muggy, uh the proper insulation throughout the house is very important. So, with those three things, they should call us and be ready. And speaking of calling TC Hafford, you can for free estimate operations manager John Finch. Walk us through what how that works. Sure. I mean, so the easiest thing to contact us, whether it be online, we do have online booking now. Uh, give us a call. We're happy to set up a free estimate. One of our system design specialists is going to come out to the customer's home. Uh, they're going to give them a little bit of a background education of their house as a system. They're going to talk a little bit about the company because it's very important for us to have our customers know who they're doing business with. Um because the the first foundation that's important important is trust, right? Um from there, they're going to inspect the area. They're going to identify problems that we have solutions for that the customer had called us about and potentially identify other problems that they may not have even known they had. Tony, this time of year, we're getting into summertime. What kind of things are you seeing problems? I mean, when we go from overnight from like 40s to 80s, what kind of problems are you seeing creeping up in May, June, July here in Maine? We went from winter where nothing was going on, things were frozen solid to all of a sudden all kinds of rain, everything got wet, and now all of a sudden summer showed up. It seemed like that all happened in a week. I mean, I realize it was four or five weeks, but it wasn't that long. It doesn't [laughter] What did we say yesterday in Kennook? It was it was 80. It was 80 and it was also 80 in Las Vegas at at the same time. I I would imagine that wide varied temperature of things freezing and opening up again and that can kind of show problems in people's basements. Yeah. I mean, we went from houses being cold to basements being wet. Now all of a sudden they're getting humid because of that warm air outside is getting sucked down into the basement. John, did you put the AC in this past week? Guilty. [laughter] What's the best way to first step for TC Haffer? Absolutely. Give us a call. We have an appointment center of dedicated individuals who are there to answer the phone, understand what their concern is, set up that free estimate as quickly as possible and hit the ground running. Yeah, I'm telling you, the more I learn about kind of how you all do things operationally, um the more impressed I am in terms of uh these people taking great care of you. They've got the best product with all the TC Hafford basement systems, but just all the logistics, I guess, is the word, right? I mean, at any given time, Tony, how many crews are out and about for you? I mean, we can have uh we can have upwards of of 12 crews out at any given time. That's incredible. All right, guys. Summertime dream kind of a get to get to know lightning round here with John Finch. Perfect summer main day for you, John. Oo, perfect summer main day. So, it's going to be late afternoon, early evening when the sun's start to go down, so it's not quite as hot. And that's my time to go for a walk on the beach with my wife because the tourists have gone back for dinner. It's a little quieter and it's just beautiful. Amazing. Tony, perfect main day for you. Perfect main day. Not crawling around somebody's basement. You can't answer that. No, it's got to be uh warm enough to ride the m the motorcycle, but cold enough you need the jacket on. Yes, sir. I like that. Uh, John Finch, beach, lakefront, mountain, or city? Gotta go with lakefront. Good man. Tony Haford. Beach, lakefront, mountain, or city, sir? Mountain. Going mountains, man. I love that. Best concert of all time, John Finch. Best concert of all time. And where? Oh goodness. That's That's tough. Uh, you know what? Um, we took our kids to see the Steve Miller Band. Really? And it was fantastic. I love that. He's still got it. I love the I love you're raising the kids, right, John Fish? That's awesome. Tony, best concert ever. And where was it? Gar Brooks. Yes. Las Vegas. Tony, we coming back for episode 6. Thanks for bringing all these special guests in. It's so great to watch how proud you are of this team of yours. You got a great You got a great crew of people, man. No doubt about it. Yeah, we got a great group. That's awesome. All right, come back again episode 6 for the TC Hford Basement Systems learning about all things basementy.
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