With the Coronavirus pushing mortgage rates lower, many people are buying and selling homes right now. If you’re amongst this crowd, there’s one thing you shouldn’t overlook–the plumbing. In this article, we’ll talk about plumbing tips to keep in mind whether you’re buying a home or selling a home.
Plumbing Tips When You’re Buying A Home
In the market for a new home? How exciting! We know walk-in closets, large rooms, and a functional kitchen may be at the top of your list, but you also want to consider the current state of the home’s plumbing system.
Before signing on that dotted line, be sure to inspect the following:
- Water heater: water heaters last an average of 10 years and they aren’t cheap. When touring a home take note of the water heater’s model and serial number to look up its age. Also, look for signs of corrosion, leaks, and lack of hot water–which you can do when testing out faucets
- Toilets: make sure there are no clogs, leaks, or warped floors near the base of the toilets
Water pressure: turn on the faucets and showers in the home and make sure the water pressure is what you and your family want. To increase the water pressure, you can install ¾” pipes from the water source to the home and install at least ½” pipes or larger to faucets - Sewage system: whether the home is connected to the municipal sewer or has a septic system, you’ll want to have a plumber run a video inspection camera through the sewer line so they can identify potential problems like corrosion, clogs, or tree roots
- Crawl space or basement: inspect the basement or crawl space of the home to look for leaks, shoddy repairs, and water damage
Are you looking for a home in the Portland OR and Vancouver WA area? We offer real estate inspections! Learn more: https://clogpro.com/plumbing-contractor-services/real-estate-plumbing-inspection/
Plumbing Tips When You’re Selling A Home
If you’re selling your home, you’re most likely cleaning it up, organizing, and sprucing up the yard. But there are also plumbing issues you’ll want to address to help maximize your sales potential.
Keep the following plumbing tips in mind before putting your home on the market.
- Update the water heater: if your water heater is older than 10 years, now may be a great time to upgrade to a new, energy-efficient model. New water heaters are great selling points, especially when they’re tankless or energy-efficient because everyone loves to save money
- Clean the septic system: the last thing a new homeowner wants is to perform maintenance. Have your septic system pumped and inspected so potential buyers will know it will be a long time before they have to have it serviced
- Improve the water pressure: have you been dealing with less than adequate water pressure in your home? Potential buyers won’t be impressed. Inspect your pipes for leaks, clean out the faucet aerators, and consider replacing your shower heads as you prepare your home
- Ensure there are no leaks: inspect your toilets, crawl space, basement, and near other plumbing fixtures looking for signs of leaks, then repair as necessary
- Clean the drains: the drains in your home house, dirt, chemicals, hair, food bits, and more. After a while, debris will build up along the walls of your pipes and cause the drains to slow or become clogged. You’d be wise to hire a plumber to properly inspect and clean the drains and pipes
- Work with a professional plumber: we know how enticing DIY repairs may be, but they could cause big issues if not done properly. You don’t want to chance anything when selling your home. Our plumbers can inspect, diagnose, and repair any plumbing issues you may be experiencing. We can also clear lines.
So whether your buying or selling a home, contact us for all of your inspection and repair needs. We proudly serve the Portland and Vancouver area.