Are you thinking of listing your home? Are you wondering what you can do to increase the property worth? We highly recommend skipping the aesthetics and giving your plumbing system a once-over. Here are the general plumbing services we recommend investing in before an open house.
Why Is Plumbing Improvements Important Before Listing A House?
A home’s plumbing system is vital as its pipes run throughout the home and connect to the laundry room, the bathroom, and the kitchen. It also runs to major household appliances like the refrigerator, the dishwasher, and the washer, so the potential buyers take the time to examine these areas.
Because it’s so critical, a third of homebuyers choose to buy newly built properties because they worry about dealing with existing plumbing issues. According to Zillow, another 15% of home buyers back out of a deal after a home inspection. Why risk it when we can fix the problems?
What Is The Most Common Household Plumbing Problem?
You are likely wondering what the best general plumbing services you should invest in. You need only look for the most common household plumbing problems to help you make decisions. Here are the things we highly recommend you check before listing your home on the market.
- Leaks (Including Pipes, Basins, Tubs, Faucets, & Toilets)
Leaks are common, so be more vigilant about the critical components that inspectors and homebuyers will check. Buyers often do a visual inspection of the walls, ceilings, and floors to check for leaks and weak spots. If there is discoloration or staining, have an inspection done.
A few things you can do yourself is to look for continually running water or drips, strong or moldy smells, or an unusual meter reading. You can also perform a meter check and watch it for a week to find a daily average. Compare it to previous bills to check for recent higher usage.
- Old, Rusted Pipes
A clear sign your home has old, rusted pipes is a discoloration of the water. If you see brown, yellow, or reddish colors, you might want to consider a pipe replacement. As older homes tend to still have original metal pipes, there is a risk of rust building up and causing a disaster.
- Dated Heating & Plumbing Appliances
Homebuyers will likely check the age of a home’s heating and plumbing appliances. If an HVAC or water heater is aging out, you can ask us about replacement options. We can install them and verify the warranty. If the appliances are okay, just replace a home’s fixtures and faucets.
- Sewer System Problems
Clogs are a clear indicator that there are sewer system problems. You don’t want to wait until a buyer turns on the sink or flushes the toilet to find an issue. Clogged sewage lines and cross-connection issues can cause backflows. A sewer line inspection will verify a home’s fitness.
- Pipe Corrosion
Pipe corrosion is also problematic as it is a signal that more serious repairs are needed. It is also a sign that there is a higher probability of pipes breaking and flooding a home. Corrosion can occur from bacteria, hard water mineral deposits, pH imbalances, poor installation, and damage. You should think about making upgrades if a home is older than fifty years as pipe corrosion is likely from manufacturing standards.
As you are listing your home, your clients will appreciate the upgrade to the general plumbing services, but there are a few that make more sense to help support an agreement. Call our office at (781) 521-2188 or visit https://www.facebook.com/JGriffinHeatingandPlumbing/ for more details.
