Should I Check the Plumbing Before Buying a Home?
If you are buying your first home or upgrading to your second home, there’s a good chance that this is going to be the biggest investment of your life. Whether you’re dropping $100K or $300K on a home, you don’t want that dream home to turn into a “money pit.”
When you fall in love with a home, you may automatically notice the fresh paint and new carpets, the granite kitchen counters, or the new roof. Even though the house may be charming on the outside, you must remember that much of what you see is merely cosmetic.
That dream home of yours may be hiding much bigger problems that are not apparent to the naked eye, specifically, plumbing problems.
While an aging roof with missing shingles may be obvious, you will have to look much closer to detect a mainline clog that’s worsening every day due to thirsty tree roots, or an old plumbing system that’s riddled with so many problems, it’s only a matter of time before the entire indoor plumbing system needs to be replaced (older homes).
A Home Inspection May Not Be Enough
These days, homebuyer inspections are the standard. If you order an inspection, can you trust that it will catch any major plumbing problems that may be lurking behind the cabinets, in the walls, and under the floorboards? Maybe, but if it were our home, we wouldn’t leave it to chance.
Some savvy homebuyers order a follow-up inspection to check on the integrity of a home’s indoor plumbing system, but more often than not they are never ordered. All too often, we get a call from a new homeowner who has a completely unexpected plumbing emergency.
In the typical scenario, we find out the new homeowner had no idea as to the condition of the home’s plumbing system. We hate it when we have to be the bearer of bad news: “We’re sorry, but your pipes are full of tree roots and we have to replace the affected pipes,” or something to that effect.
If you’re buying a home that is not a new build, here are some things that we would look for if a customer was purchasing a home:
- What is the condition of the main sewer?
- Are any of the household’s drains clogging?
- Are there any leaky faucets or showerheads?
- How old is the household’s plumbing?
- What is the plumbing made out of?
- How old is the water heater?
- What is the condition of the water heater?
- Are there any leaks at the base of the toilets?
As you know, buying a home is a huge investment. Knowing that you have an old, deteriorated plumbing system can come in handy during negotiations. There are so many variables that can affect a household’s plumbing system, such as inferior pipes, or even pipes that have been used and abused by renters that can affect the integrity of the home’s plumbing.
For the above reasons, it’s best to have a whole house plumbing inspection that includes a water heater inspection and a sewer camera inspection. That little extra that you spend on a plumbing inspection can help you catch any red flags so you know if you have more negotiating power, or if you need to walk away from the purchase.
Looking for a professional plumber in Cedar Park or Leander? Contact Excalibur Plumbing to schedule a whole house plumbing inspection!