Are you on the market for your first home? If so you have likely worn out your brain writing down many of the things you have been advised to check for when browsing. Once you have narrowed down your search, you will need to prepare to have an assessment of the new home before the bank will approve your home loan. This assessment is to determine the overall value of the home, as well as any damage to it, and assessments themselves are not free.
So before you invest the time, money, and let’s admit it, your own personal attachment to a home, it will be a lucrative investment of your own time to do a pre-assessment on any home you are considering for purchase. That lovely 2-story on the cul-de-sac may be your first choice, but with a proper plumbing inspection, could quickly turn into your biggest source of frustration. A home with plumbing issues, or worse, damage, could eventually even lead to the local health department condemning your home. It happens, often.
Inspect Your Future Investment
There are a few important elements that should garner your consideration when inspecting a prospective home’s pipes and plumbing. More about Cardiff Plumbers | Cardiff Electrical
Inside the Home
Check fittings and the type of pipes utilized inside of the home. The bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and any other room with piping and fixtures should be examined. Bad signs to look for around these pipes include:
Seepage
Water stains
Rusting fixtures or pipes
Damaged or cracked piping
Discolored pipes
If the water in the home is on or available, you should also run the tap to check it to be sure it runs clear and does not have a fetid scent. Be sure to also check the areas around and under the piping and fixtures. Does it show signs of leakage in the past? Damaged cabinet bottoms, water lines, or rotting wood or flooring around and under pipe fittings may be a bad sign.
Appliances
While visiting these areas also take note about any appliances available. Check them for energy star tags. If they are made before efficiency requirements were enacted, be prepared to add them to your budget list of items to be replaced when considering the loan value for your home.
Main Plumbing
Once you have inspected the interior piping, be prepared to get dirty inspecting your main plumbing system if it is in a crawl space you can navigate or in a ceiling area that may require you to remove a few tiles to inspect.
Much like inside the home, you should check for staining or rotting of material under the piping
If in a crawl space inspect the ground underneath for readily apparent moisture, or even signs that it is regularly wet such as large smooth sunken areas or paths and rivulets.
Look for molded or discolored areas around pipe joints.
Broken or damaged cut off valves
Separated piping
Signs of flooding or constant moisture such as damaged subflooring
If can inspect a home as a layperson and find none of the above signs of damage or issues, it should be safe to go ahead and call the appraiser. However, if you find any of the above issues, most certainly any previous signs of water damage, it may be in your best long-term financial and emotional interest to call an expert, like those at Petri Plumbing so that you can get the advice of a pro on whether or not your prospective home is far more of an investment than you are prepared to take on currently.
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