I am thinking of buying a home and getting a great deal on it, however, I am informed the it sits on a high water table area I know sometimes the basement "in the past" has had standing water. There is a sump pum that works.
I am wondering if there is a way to fix a high water table problem with out demoing the house and starting over?
Or is it a big deal this happens I know the women who owns it has lived there for 50+ years however the basement is not that useable in my book.
Could somehow we frame and put a new floor on top of the old so water can raise and lower with out damage to the area I'd like to redo? ( I don't knwo if I am expalining this so you understand (like a drop ceiling in reverse.)
What's the best most cost effevtive adivise you can give?
Thanks

You'd regret doing the "false floor" thing, because you would experience mold anf rot from below, more than likely.

Your best bet is to excavate all around and WATERproof (NOT DAMPproof) the foundation, by installing a membrane that runs right down over the tops of the footings, and perhaps add one or more sumps and pumps to control water that otherwise might come up through or around the floor.

If you waterproof, be sure you backfill with porous material such as pea gravel. I don't know that foundation drains will help if they are below the water table, but if the basement is not constantly flooded, then the water table isn't high all year round, so maybe they would help, if there's a place for the drains to discharge, such as a hillside, a stream, or a municipal storm drain.

thanks a bunch, do you think having city sewer and water would help? or could that cause more issues that I am not thinking about clearly?

City water and sewer should help the problem as long as they work properly. You should be able to call the city engineer and ask if there is a problem with backups in the area.

Thanks, I called and the house is in a township so I would have to have the house annexed into the city limits to get city sewer and water. Ha! so one more expense. Still I think it's a deal I can not pass up.
I was looking up what you suggested and it look to be just done on the outside would you recomend something for the interior as well, then sheetrock and flooring?

City water and sewer would have no effect on your problem, one way or the other. Neither has anything to do with ground water.

There is nothing you can put inside that will effectively and permanently stop leaks.

Once you get the leaks under control, then you could finish the basement, but I would avoid gypsum board (Sheetrock) and use a paperless product, and I would be very careful what I used for flooring.

The first order of business is to control the water by doing the outside waterproofing, and possibly perforated drains. Then see if the basement remains dry, before investing in any finish work.

thank you so much for all the help and advise. I appreciate it greatly.
Happy Holidays