Every buyer’s worst nightmare came true when, just days before a Philadelphia home sale closed, the seller caused $16,000 worth of damages.
Vincent Cyr and his wife Jane, area real estate agents, represented the seller of the Pennsylvania home. They were alerted to the incident five days before a deal on the property was reached. The seller, who was moving to another state, wanted to get rid of his safe and decided to sell it on Facebook Marketplace.
“This buyer had brought with them a device to lower heavy objects down the stairs,” Cyr said. News week.
But the plan backfired, and the severe damage caused by the 400-pound safe can be seen in an Instagram Reel posted by the couple. Meanwhile, photos shared with News week show the damage in more detail, with the destruction caused to the ground floor of the house, the stairs and the wall against which the safe crashed. Damage to the wall opposite the stairs was also visible from outside the house.
The Cyr team
“The problem we have is you don’t have a lot of time to try to find a solution to this problem,” Cyr said. “We were able to bring in a contractor to provide an estimate of how much the repairs would cost.”
The estimated cost of the repairs ultimately came to $16,000, which was given as a credit to the home buyers who would have to take care of the repairs. This figure includes the cost of repairing the floor; the structural elements of the staircase, such as steps and stringers; and damage to the wall.
“When buying or selling a home, it is essential to work with an experienced team who knows exactly how to handle difficult situations like this,” the couple said on social media. “A quick call to a contractor and a few discussions with everyone involved in the transaction, we are back on track to selling this house!
Fortunately, Cyr said, no one was injured as a result of the incident.
The Cyr team
The average home price in Philadelphia is estimated at $223,488, according to Zillow, but there are additional costs associated with purchasing. In 2020, the average real estate agent commission was 5.46%, according to Statista. In 2024, other costs, such as moving, could range between $200 and $12,700, Forbes reported.
Zillow said closing costs could be between 8 and 10 percent of the price of the home, which would be between $17,000 and $22,000 based on the average Philadelphia home price.
In the comments section of the Instagram Reel, social media users shared their thoughts. “It probably would have been easier to sell with the house,” one viewer wrote. “Let the new owner handle moving the safe.”
Another said: “Gun safes weigh over 1,000 pounds. Why the hell would you put them upstairs?! »
One user added: “Don’t put big gun safes upstairs, put them in the garage and bolt them to the concrete.”
Has your house ever become a nightmare? Whether it’s a burst pipe, unexpected renovations gone wrong, or any other home disaster, we want to hear your story. Let us know via life@newsweek.com, and your experience could be featured on News week.
