How to buy a house that won’t get flooded

By Tessa Salazar
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: October 09, 2009

MANILA, Philippines – See the glass half full, not half empty.

That’s how property experts view the recent spate of heavy rains on Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon. As what had been said in this section many times now, the onset of the rainy season should be the perfect time to look for property whether you’re planning to buy a vacant lot, a beach home, commercial property or a residential home. The inclement weather will reveal many things that would have otherwise stayed hidden during the dry season.

Here are timely, and sometimes lifesaving, advice from experts.

1 Ask for a disclosure statement from developers. Andy Mañalac, president of National Real Estate Association, told Philippine Daily Inquirer Property last week that it is about time that sellers, including developers, should be provided with a disclosure statement, which should be read to the buyers by the sellers.

It usually contains all the important details about the property –orientation, type of soil, description of land, geological and development history (e.g. was it a dry riverbed or a swamp? was it reclaimed? etc.).

“This [disclosure statement] is common practice in the United States, why can’t we adapt it here? It should be a standard document in a real estate transaction,” he said.

2 Practicing green architect Amado de Jesus said the rainy season would be the best time to check for soil erosion and poor sewerage and drainage system in the area. “If the next lot is higher, especially at the back, where does water flow? Does it flow into your lot?” A downpour would also be the perfect time to see if your prospective subdivisions have poor drainage systems.

3 Buyers should research and demand information, and developers should give proper information and respect their commitments. Take your time, listen to different people and do your homework. Alexis A. Acacio, an associate professor of civil engineering at the University of the Philippines, told Inquirer Property two years ago that visiting the site during the rains would show the area’s traffic behavior as well. It would also show if the roads have a siltation problem (prone to developing mud). Mud on the road is a telltale indication of the “looseness” of the soil where the road is situated.

4 Acacio said that rains would also betray poor “ingress and egress” (entry and exit) of the location, or the accessibility of the location as access roads are as important as the site itself.

Acacio stressed that rains would also reveal the area’s vulnerability to landslides.

5 Aside from the ocular inspection, Acacio added that potential buyers should ask residents if the area floods when it rains. Two tell-tale signs of chronic flooding are the presence of sandbags and unusually elevated homes in the area.

6 The rainy season can also reveal poorly maintained, thus dangerous, electrical systems. However, electrical inspections should be conducted with the assistance of professionals, Acacio stressed.

7 Another indicator is a wet ceiling, which would hint of a leaky roof. Acacio added that when it is not raining, watch out for watermarks in the ceiling as these are signs of a defective roof system. Also look out for porous walls, firewalls and walls that are continuously exposed to rainfall. These walls manifest leaks and moisture if they are not properly made and maintained.

8 If a property is adjacent or near a river or lake, check the site during heavy rainfall and watch out for overflows.

Also take note of warped cabinets. If the wall behind the cabinet has a water leak, then the wooden cabinet would naturally warp.

9 Cesar Santos, a real estate appraiser and educator, suggests that owners of any real estate property in any affected villages in Marikina, Cainta, and Pasig who assign sentimental values on their property and would refuse to sell, can convert their homes from a one-story into a two-story building with a roof deck, if budget allows. Design the house to counter future floods. Get the help of an engineer or an architect to do this.

10 “A community action can reduce the effects of a flood,” Santos said. “We cannot prevent Marikina River from overflowing, however, we can reduce that through local governance and right attitude. Reforestation is a must and must be part of students curriculum,” he added.

Protecting the environment must be part of the curriculum from elementary to college. Educate the people on proper waste disposal, and prioritize the relocation of informal settlers, Santos urged.