When you’re considering buying a new home, the plumbing is one of the most essential features to check out. After all, the quality of the plumbing will significantly effect the quality of life you have in the home, and it’s maintenance costs. So, what should you look for when you’re touring a potential new home?
Check for Function
Having beautiful or efficient fixtures is great, but your first concern should be whether the plumbing works or not. You can run a few tests while in the home to make sure it does:
Talk to the Homeowners
You can also ask the current owners a few questions to help determine the quality of the home’s plumbing:
Don’t take the homeowner’s word for it, and don’t skip the home inspection! An inspector can tell you what kind of pipes the home has, and whether any appliance looks like it’s about to breakdown, or if they see any other problems with the home’s plumbing.
Signs of Water Damage
While you’re inspecting the plumbing, it’s wise to check the whole home for signs that there has been a plumbing leak or water damage. Look for:
Should Plumbing Problems Disqualify a Home?
If you find a plumbing problem, you shouldn’t necessarily abandon the home. Many plumbing problems are simple to fix, and by pointing them out you can even negotiate a lower price on the home.
However, other plumbing problems, like a backed-up sewer line or a corroded bathtub could be large problems that you may not necessarily have the money to fix after you’ve purchased the home. It’s wise to get the advice of your home inspector and your plumber to discover what the repairs would cost were you to buy the home.
Whatever you decide, it’s better to have knowledge of the plumbing problem before you buy the home.