Upcoming Foreclosures

Can you ask bank to de-winterize the home they are selling?

I know the home is bank owned and as-is due to a foreclosure and they had winterized it. I would like them to de-winterize it before I have the inspection - so I can have the inspector make sure the plumbing is working right. Will they do that, or will I have to take my chances?

Public Comments

1. they probably wont de-winterize your house.You could ask the plumber to pressurize the system above water pressure. check pipes in the attic and in the basement for any tell tale signs.Check the boiler as to age and condition.A reputable and thorough home inspection will reveal a lot of defects. Be very forceful insisting on everything checked structurally.
2. Write that into your contract. Don't buy a home without the right to inspect and then if you chose to back out because of the inspection-make sure that is in your contract also.
3. No, a bank will not make any changes to property they are selling. It is up to the potential purchaser to pay for any inspections that have to be done on the property. Winterization should only protect the plumbing and ensure that it works correctly without leaks and breaks in the pipes. Please keep in mind that purchasing any property is a gamble, it can be 100% fine on the day that papers are passed and then you can have a problem with anything the next day. Friends of mine purchased a home and one week later the furnace stopped working and had to be replaced and they had a plumbing blockage a few days later which was due to something the previous owners had done. These things are part of property ownership, no matter how many inspections you have done. Good luck.
4. If they are selling a foreclosure, these are usually sold as-is, and anything is up for negotiation...they generally won't make repairs unless it is preventing you from getting a loan (if that applies to you), but they will take it off the sales price. Winterizing is considered general maintenance, and it is highly unlikely they will consider it when selling a home. If you get a thorough inspection, you can buy a home warranty, and a local real estate company can provide you with a list of places to go through...I happen to know that Old Republic is a good one from personal experience..I'm not affiliated with them in any way. That way, if your furnace goes out, etc...you'll be covered for a small co-pay. I once bought a house that had the furnace go out..it would have been $3,500 to replace...cost me $75 b/c of the home warranty.
5. Wow I'm amazed at these answers! Every bank owned property I have ever sold (and thats been hundreds) has dewinterized the house. Most contracts give you x amount of days to perform an inspection. We add this verbage....x amount of days from the date ALL utilities are turned on. So the banks will dewinterize the house. If you find anything wrong..they won't fix it..but then you can walk from the deal. Good luck!