Yes, it's water damage. Insist it's repaired before closing.

And don't let him just "fix" the bulging tiles. Make sure that whatever is causing the bulging is thoroughly assessed & repaired.

Less likely, but conceivable, it's caused by warping and twisting of wood framing, if this is a low-rise construction. I've seen a whole slab of wall tiles pop off in that situation.

Whatever the case, I'd use it as a lever for a price reduction. Better to have your trades do the job properly. Of course, depending on your local market, as a seller I might or might not tell you to, "Whistle Dixie. " (Can we still use that phrase?)

Not so much as a repair but start with selective demo and more than likely a complete gut and new shower. I would push for the selective demo, find out the issue and then push for a discount. Hire the the tile setter yourself as you do not want shortcuts and the price point shower they will attempt to provide.

If you like the condo, get a price reduction and get the work done yourself. A seller is only going to do the least they can to get the condo sold. You want to make sure this is done right.

I would want it all redone too. It doesnt look good, and I also see the mold at the bottom. I suspect, your wall has been wet many times inside, and is full of mold, and not only that one wall either, since I see mold at the bottom of the other wall in your picture too.

You can't repair tiles on a shower because they are part of an integrated waterproofing system. The tiles bulging means that the wall behind it is bulging for some reason and everything needs to be demoed in order to properly fix the wall.

Frankly the shower with the mold at the bottom looks disgusting and I wouldn't purchase it unless the price reflected the cost of an entire bathroom remodel which would probably be at least $20,000 for lower end finishes.

I encountered a shower issue with my new purchase that required a complete rebuild from the studs, no structural damage. The tear out, repair and replace with similar grade of tile came to around $11,000. I hope that helps you with your negotiations.

Yes, it is water damage. Learned this from my MOM after an inspector missed it, back when I bought my very first house. Bulge means water leak. Could be a moldy mess back there too. Needs to be rebuilt.

Thank you everyone for your responses. We have decided to ask the seller for a credit/price reduction. If I remember I will update on what this actually ends up costing.

If there are any other bathrooms with showers similar to that, you may want to have them inspected too. Chances are if they were done at the same time, they were both done incorrectly.

Realistically, the only reasonable fix is to remove all the tile and backer board. Then install new backerboard, reseal with modern waterproof membrane or use something similar to properly installed Kerdi board, and then install all new tile. Make sure you understand all the costs and that the credit/price reduction is sufficient to cover it.

Bruce

I had exactly the same thing years ago with an improperly water-proofed shower. Just to let you know: it's possible to repair it and make it look like new, but that will just be cosmetic and the problem will come back and possibly spread. Make sure it is re-done, not just "repaired."