Preparing Your Home’s Plumbing For A Pre-Sale Building Inspection
- Written by News Co Media
When you put your home on the market and a buyer is interested in it, they will likely call for a building and pest inspection. Naturally, you want your home to pass the inspection with flying colours so the buyer is happy and the sale of the house goes through.
Let’s go through a bit of a checklist to ensure your home’s plumbing system is totally up to scratch when it comes time to sell.
Get Any Water Leaks Fixed
If your home has any instances of water leaks, you’ll want to get them all remedied. Some of these leaks, such as dripping taps, you might be able to repair yourself, while others may require you calling in the services of your trusted plumber.
While dripping taps might not seem like a big issues, they are noticeable to someone viewing your home and they will be picked up by a building inspector.
Water leaks, such as pipes that have developed holes or cracked pipes underground out in the yard will definitely need to be repaired pre-sale. You may feel confident changing out some tap washers to stop dripping taps, but get a plumber in for more serious water leaks.
Are All Of the Toilets Working Efficiently?
The toilets are something every potential buyer is going to want to know are in perfect working order. No one wants to move into a new house and have issues with toilets blocking up, not flushing correctly or toilets that continually leak water.
If your toilets haven’t had any maintenance in a long time, there is the potential that water will leak from the system into the bowl due to a failing seal. You might want to have a plumber look over your toilets prior to any inspection to ensure they are in top working order.
Also, if one or more of the toilets has been slow to flush, this might require the attention of a plumber as well, as a block could be building up somewhere in the sewer pipes. And no one wants to experience a blocked toilet situation.
Remedy Any Slow Or Blocked Drains
Blocked drains or drains that are slow to clear are one of the most common plumbing problems Australian households have to deal with. It’s the result of debris being flushed down sinks and shower drains and building up inside the pipes. Hair is a major problem in bathrooms, while in kitchens the culprit is generally food scraps and perhaps even really small bones.
If your home suffers from any slow or blocked drains, you could first try clearing the pipes with some quality drain cleaner or plunging. If this fails, get your plumber in to locate and clear the blockages. They have specialised equipment to help find blockages in pipes and the gear to get them cleared.
What’s the Condition Of Your Roofing and Guttering?
In a sense, your home’s guttering system and down pipes come under the plumbing umbrella. In any case, the condition of your roof and your home’s gutters will come under scrutiny during an inspection, so you want to make sure everything is in good condition and that gutters and down pipes are funneling rainwater away as they were designed to do.
Rusted gutters or guttering with holes in it should be replaced with new sections, and the same goes for any faults in the down pipes.
Sometimes gutters just need to be cleaned of debris to work more efficiently. If you have a ladder, this is a task you can accomplish yourself.
Is Gas a Part Of Your Home?
If appliances in your home run on gas rather than electricity, then the gas network also comes under the jurisdiction of plumbing within the home. If your plumber is also a licensed gas fitter, have them come in to service your home’s gas supply, checking all the gas pipes, gas-operated appliances, fittings and so on.
While gas is perfectly safe when everything is in good order, it can present a danger if there are any gas leaks present, or your operating with old pipes and dated appliances.
Does Your Hot Water System Work Efficiently?
It doesn’t matter where you live in Australia, any potential buyer is going to want to know that hot water systems function properly and supply a steady flow of heated water when required.
Have you noticed that perhaps your hot water is not as hot as it once was? Or does the heater take a long time to get the water hot?
If so, it could be time to have some maintenance performed on your hot water service, or a replacement with a new system might be the solution.
Give your plumber a call and have them come and take a look at your hot water system, so any issues can be rectified prior to selling your home.
Do Any Plumbing Fixtures Need Replacing Or Updating?
Perhaps the shower head no longer works effectively, or the taps look all stained and rusted. These things can put off a potential buyer, as can fittings that look really outdated. It might be time to have the fittings in your home replaced before you put your house on the market.
A good idea would be to replace the taps and shower heads with modern fittings that help save on water. Water conservation is a major focus these days, especially as the cost of those water bills continues to rise.
Talk to your plumber about options that fit within your budget and have them systematically replace what’s necessary in your home.
In Conclusion
Successfully selling your home is about good preparation. You know it’s going to undergo an inspection once a buyer is interested, so give yourself every chance of a successful outcome by having your home’s plumbing system well-maintained.
For complete peace of mind, have your home inspected by your licensed plumber.
On the flipside are you buying a home? Check out the Plumbing Checklist When Buying A Home
