Tips for house hunting - Plumbing & Systems
It’s good to check out the size of the bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas but how do I know if this is going to be a money pit or a great purchase? Today I’m talking about what to look for when it comes to plumbing. I am not a plumber and I don’t know how to fix too many plumbing issues but I do know what you should be looking for to make sure you don’t spend all of your reserves on plumbing and systems that are on their way out.
#1: Flush every toilet. This will let you know if there is a toilet with a weak flush, if it runs too long or makes any weird noises that could be early signs of a problem
#2: Size MATTERS when it comes to pipes so take a look when walking around. If the water main into the house is less than ¾ inches and pipes that run to faucets are less than a ½ inch, you could have issues with weak water pressure
#3: Shower time. Now that you checked the pipe size, turn on each shower to see the water pressure for yourself
#4: What’s up with the H2O Heater? Ask your realtor where the hot water heater is and give it a visual inspection. What you’re looking for is any corrosion or buildup. Check the manufacturing date (if it’s on the unit) and/or install date (some installers write on the unit itself the date it was installed). If you don’t see these dates ask the listing agent when the unit was installed and when it was last serviced by a professional
#5: Get down and dirty, if you have too. Nobody said you were gonna like the things on this list but you want to be an informed consumer. Inspect basements and crawl spaces for water damage, leaky pipes or repairs to plumbing and fixtures that were not done by a professional. Usually a pro’s work looks neat and is done with copper or pvc
#6: Lead is a NO-NO! Lead pipes are dangerous for people, especially children. Opt out of homes that have old lead piping unless you plan to have all of the plumbing ripped out and replaced
When you are walking around your next open house or house hunting home tour, keep these things in mind to make sure you are getting what you want and not buying a money pit. Make sure you check out this video and MANY others to save you hassle and money in the home buying process!
