I am looking at purchasing my first home and I have to say it can be a daunting task.

I finally found the home I thought was going to work out; that is until I went into the cellar.

Essentially the cellar is low about 5 feet and since it was built around the 1900s it is stone and concrete (mortar?). My concern is, as you can see in the pictures, there are spots on the floor that seem to have a little moisture. My dad said I should be very leary of purchasing a house like this because there could be a significant mold exposure later on. Should I have an engineer check it or? Do people run into problems with a floor that is dirt and not concrete?

I'm curious if anyone knows if there might be a way to "fix" the walls or if this is not quite a smart investment given the basement. Other than that, the house was completely gutted and redone which makes it very annoying that I went in the cellar and noticed what I did. Then again, it's better to know what I'm dealing with before it's mine!

mike

Pic #1 - Corner of house next to cellar entrance
http://www.blue-eyedesign.com/basement_pics/image001.jpg

Pic #2 - Remodeled exterior of house
http://www.blue-eyedesign.com/basement_pics/image002.jpg

Pic #3 - Cellar entrance (no in house entrance)
http://www.blue-eyedesign.com/basement_pics/image003.jpg

Pic #4 - Front corner of cellar
http://www.blue-eyedesign.com/basement_pics/image004.jpg

Pic #5 - Side wall of cellar near heating system
http://www.blue-eyedesign.com/basement_pics/image005.jpg

Pic #6 - Entrance into cellar (smaller room before main cellar area)
http://www.blue-eyedesign.com/basement_pics/image006.jpg