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You are ready to list your home for sale. It is one of the best opportunities to move on to a home that’s better fitting for you. However, part of selling that property is ensuring that the next people to own it are going to love it as much as you do. A key way to ensure that happens is to make sure the home does well during the home inspection. That means calling a plumbing service and ensuring that you have no problems to worry about when you have a potential buyer.
Know What the Rules Are
In many cases, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to provide clear and accurate information to potential home buyers about the condition of their home and major systems. Plumbing is a component of that. In other words, you want to be sure that the plumbing system has no problems that could cause it to fail an inspection. If you know about a plumbing problem, such as a broken line or a backed-up sewer, and you fail to tell the potential buyer about this, you could be liable to concerns. You may also find yourself facing costly repairs later.
Talk to your real estate agent about any concerns you do have. Then, work with a plumbing service to have these problems fixed properly before you list your home or sign a contract for the home’s sale.
What Are Key Areas to Focus On?
Every home is different, but you want to ensure all your major plumbing systems are working properly and there is no risk of miscommunication about any larger-scale problems. Here are a few key areas to consider paying close attention to.
Your Septic Tank
If you have a septic tank, you need to have the ability to tell the buyer that you have done the required maintenance and that it is working properly. That is not always easy to do. Having a plumbing service inspect it and ensure it is properly working is important. You also want to ensure there are no leaks or areas of concern outside of the tank itself.
Running Water
You know your home needs to have running water, but you may not realize just how important the details are here. Work with a plumbing service to look for potential concerns, including those with the main water line moving water into your home. You also want to have all the faucets, toilets, and sinks inspected for leaks.
A good test here is to open any cabinet where your plumbing is and look inside. Are there any signs of mold? Do you have any type of dampness present? If so, then it is a good idea for you to have an inspection for any leaks present by a plumbing service.
Major Leaks and Backups
If you have had any type of backups in your home in the last few years, you may need to report this to your potential home buyer. You can mitigate any concerns with this by having a plumbing service inspect your lines to ensure they are still in good shape. This may mean having a camera fed through the pipes to look for leaks and clogs and, if present, to flush them.
If you have any areas of damage, it is well worth having these fixed. These are very common causes of failed inspections in a home. If the home inspector notices water damage in the basement or other areas, that can pose a big concern.
The Hot Water Heater
Your home needs to have a working hot water heater. Before your home is sold, you may want to take a closer look at how functional it is. That is, you may want to ensure that your hot water heater is working properly and is running efficiently. There should not be any type of drainage from it. If it is loud, that can be an indication of a problem, too.
There are times when upgrading your water heater can prove to be a valuable way to impress your home buyer. This is especially true when you are investing in a more efficient or larger water heater. Be sure that the water heater is operating in building codes, too. This is also something that can cause you to fail a home inspection.
Aging Plumbing Systems
What if your home’s pipes are in good condition with no leaks, but the system is older? Most of the time, you do not have to fix what is not broken or failing you. It may be a good idea, though, to communicate with the potential buyer about the age of the system and any upgrades you have had to make over the last few years. The more information you can provide to a potential home buyer, the better informed they will be when making an offer.
Having a plumbing service come to your home to check for both interior and exterior plumbing issues is a very important step for you to take. It only takes a few minutes to learn about any type of problems that could occur. Walk around your home with your plumber to talk about problems you’ve had. Because he or she is working for you, there is no risk in that plumber stating anything that could derail your contract or offer. And, if there are concerns, upgrades could help to be selling points for your home since it is already taken care of. Don’t overlook the importance of plumbing repairs as well as in providing up-to-date inspection reports to your agent.
Why Put Off What You Can Tackle? Let Our Professionals Help You Now
Managing your home’s plumbing is not something you should put off for the next buyer. It does not have to be costly and time consuming to deal with either. At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, we provide a comprehensive plumbing service that can help ensure there are no problems during your next inspection. Give us a call today to learn more about what we can do for you.
