We are right smack in the middle of the second round of a bomb cyclone, atmospheric river. This isn’t our first rodeo, these meteorological events seem to be happening with more frequency. A few years ago, during one such deluge I was selling a house in Terra Linda. There was a covered backyard sun room which flooded during the storm. I remember walking the buyers through the property and showing them the water line in the sunroom and lack of drainage situation. They were going to have to do some work, but at least they knew what they were getting into and could see for themselves the current depth of the issue.
One of the reasons I like selling homes during the winter is that almost all the potential flaws are there for the buyers to see. If a house has a leak, the inspector will find it. If there is standing water in the backyard, the buyers are going to see it. Many of the houses in Terra Linda lack backyard drainage. I’ve learned over the years with my own property that this is an issue that can and should be addressed. I’ve got a sump pump in my backyard that I had installed that keeps my back patio from turning into a pool. After the first winter in the house in 2017, I had a pump and 2 inch pipe installed above ground, which turned out to be inadequate. It was overwhelmed by these massive downpours, so before last winter when I redid my driveway, I had a bigger pump and a 3 inch pipe installed underground. That seems to have done the trick.
Water in the backyard is one thing, but when it gets under the house there can be issues. After that first winter I spent in my house I had a moisture barrier installed because I was certain water was finding it’s way under the house. A few years ago, I put a French drain in on one side of my house, and when I upgraded the pipe and pump in the backyard I put another drain in at the back of my house. I don’t go under my house to see if there is water intrusion, but I feel like I’ve done everything I can to protect the house from water at this point. There may be some water that gets underneath, but I doubt enough to warrant a sump pump. After everything I've done, I don't feel like checking, but I probably should.
When buyers read disclosures and see there is a sump pump under the house they are often concerned. It’s super concerning to me if you are in a flood zone. If not, the hope is that the current sump pump has resolved the water issues. While you’d rather not have any water come in under the house, the reality is, as one of my clients so eloquently put it one time, “When it rains, it gets wet.”
Right now, it’s raining hard, and that’s a good thing because our water storage capacity in Marin County is inadequate for future needs over periods of drought. As homeowners it’s our responsibility to protect our homes as best we can from water intrusion. These aren’t just homes, they are investments. If you have not been taking care of your investment there’s no better time than now. Take a look around and determine what you need, make a budget, and get it done either all at once or in phases. There’s no time like the present to put a plan in motion.