Here are some pics of what it looked like:
So, I hired a water restoration company and carpet company to clean up the house. The carpet cleaning company was able to save the carpet but not the padding. Apparently the water was STANDING 6 inches throughout the house. The walls in the house sucked up the water like a "wick". So, everything looked and sounded horrible.
Enter the water restoration company! OK I do not know how they do it, but they make your house look totally normal. No mold, no messed up walls (except they remove the walls that are not saveable). They drill holls every 5 inches or so along the bottom of the walls and then they use thermal imaging cameras, water detection equipment, dehumidifiers and fans. They did this for about 9 days in the home.
In the meantime, I contacted my insurance company. This loss IS NOT COVERED. Yep, I feel robbed but I'm still working on this, but man. The house was vacant and I purchased vacant house insurance policy. However, this isn't one of the perils that are covered.
I called the city utility department to see when the leak started. They said they sent me a letter the night before because our usage seemed a little high. They sent the letter after they sent TWO city workers to read the meter manually (which you have to go through the yard and at least drive over the soaking wet street). So, apparently the water coming out of the house and running through the yard and down the street wasn't enough to tip them off to the problem. This is because the work order said check the meter reading. Not sure when it is important enough to shut off the water. The city claims that they do not call homeowners when they suspect a leak. However, other citizens there have told me that is not true and that the city called them after filling a pool. The city advised only the homeowner can shut off their water.
The realtor who was supposed to be checking on my home said she hadn't been in there in over 10 days. The people that found it were a serious couple apparently taking a second look so that they could make an offer on the home. That deal did not work out (obviously).
I have paid about $4,000 so far just to get it dry. I am estimating the repairs to total about $15-20K total (including the drying).
I am selling my new van to pay for the repairs. :( Very sad.
However, I have through God's direction decided to allow a family that we have known for several years move into our home and buy it from us. First off they have endured many trials in life. They always lend a helping hand to people and even money. Their own home has not survived well after several floods in their basement, a gas leak, a fire, a poor repair to the fire where the home was re-repaired, and an earthquake that has caused the home to sink in on itself. So many problems with their home has left it in dis-repair. They can't sleep in their bedrooms during cold nights because the living area is the only room to stay warm enough (60 degrees brrr). Also, the home has some safety concerns and after living there and doing numerous repairs for 10 years, they just couldn't get ahead. They have to walk away from their home and have been looking for a while for another home. Since they are a family of 8, there are not many options for them. They do not have good credit and could never qualify for a decent loan. So, we are working out them moving in to our home, actually scratch that, their new home. It is a fresh start for all of us.
Ideally, in our heads we wanted to walk away from that area with a clean slate, however, this challenge is something hard to overcome. This family has been to this house so many times, with our kids growing up together, that it is definitely going to be an easy transition for them. They will have no repairs (new roof, new heat and air, new water tank, new walls, new flooring, etc.). Literally, nothing to worry about for repairs (beyond an occasional toilet backup after kids clog it). :) I told my friend that I felt like she has blessed many people in her own way over the years, giving what she could, and I watch her trust God so much and sometimes, it seemed like he didn't come through for her. Deep down, I feel like God wanted me to do this for them before now, however, I think we all had to be ready for this transition.
So, we are working on getting our agreement in writing and making this work for our families. God does turn evil into good. Just wish he didn't have to use so many floods! :)
If you're selling a house, the last thing you'd want is to totally restore it due to an accident. Not only do you have to pay for the repairs, but you also lose time that could've been spent showcasing the house to prospective buyers. If there's anything good that came out of all this, it's that your house would look newly-renovated after the fix, which could entice people to buy it sooner. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSteve Jamieson @ Remax Crest Realty