Why You Should Get a Plumbing Inspection Before You Buy a House
Anybody who has ever bought a home before or gone through the house hunting process will know that you don’t buy a house without a home inspection. But even though they are equally important, people do not often talk about the necessity of a plumbing inspection before purchasing a house. In our article we will discuss this, including how a plumbing inspection can save you money, help you negotiate a better price, and give you a fuller picture of the home’s condition.
You’ll Get a Complete Picture of the House’s Health
A plumbing inspection is incredibly thorough, and the plumber who performs the inspection will go over every inch of the home’s plumbing, including piping, fixtures, sewer lines, water lines, septic system, and more. Here are a few examples of the problems an inspection might uncover:
- Major clogs in the water or drainage system
- Tree roots growing into the pipes
- Pipe, faucet, appliance, or shower head leaks
- Water heater corrosion
- Low water pressure
- Seeping or overflowing septic system
- Corrosion or damage to the plumbing system
- Broken sump pump
Regular Home Inspections Won’t Cover These Issues
Some home inspectors will have enough general knowledge about plumbing to give a cursory assessment of a potential home’s plumbing system, but home inspectors aren’t experts in this field. When you pay for a general home inspection, therefore, it won’t include a thorough investigation of the plumbing system, which means you might miss significant problems that could require expensive and extensive repairs. With a proper plumbing inspection, it’s guaranteed you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into when you buy the house.
The Inspection Will Save You Money
If you were to buy a house at full price and then have to cover the cost of expensive plumbing repairs you weren’t prepared for, this could put you in murky financial waters. When you request a plumbing inspection, however, you won’t be blindsided by surprises and additional costs. Moreover, once you have the results of the inspection, you can choose to either walk away from the offer or renegotiate the price to offset the cost of repairs.
There are many reasons to request a plumbing inspection before you buy a home, and among the most important is that you’ll go into the offer fully aware of the state of the house. Because regular home inspections don’t cover thorough plumbing inspections, it’s possible that you’ll miss an important problem with the home if you don’t get a plumbing inspection.
Not only could issues end up costing you thousands of dollars extra in the long run, but it could also mean the house of your dreams needs months of work to get it to a liveable standard. A final note to mention is that some lenders may even require a plumbing inspection before signing off on a mortgage. Even if your lender doesn’t demand it, it’s in your best interest (financially and otherwise) to have a plumbing inspection before buying a house.
For more information on plumbing inspections contact the trained and professional plumbers at Drain Rescue Plumbers!