3 Reasons You Should Have a Plumbing Inspection Before You Buy a Home

Here’s a scenario that happens all too often….potential homebuyers shop around for that perfect home, make an offer, get a mortgage approval, get a home inspection and become homeowners.

Then, two months or five months or eight months down the road, they are on the phone with a plumber because there is an inch of water in the laundry room or there is some other plumbing-related issue.

If the home passed its inspection with flying colours just a short time ago, how can there possibly be any problems with the plumbing?

1. The Initial Inspection Didn’t Include Everything
The reason that you may have a plumbing problem, and the primary reason you should have a plumbing inspection before you buy, is because the standard home inspection is not comprehensive.  If the foundation is sound and the roof is strong and the basic plumbing elements are in working order, the house will likely receive a passing grade.

However, just because the faucets work and the water seems to flow down the drains doesn’t mean everything is working well under the surface.  Often, it is the potential for a plumbing problem in the near future that is missed with the typical home inspection.  Everything works, so everything passes, and you end up buying the home not knowing that trouble is waiting.

2. Saves You Money
Ultimately, an undetected plumbing problem is going to end up costing you money down the road, possibly a lot of money.  Plumbing problems that aren’t detected before you buy the home can quickly progress from minor issues to major situations.

After buying the home, paying the agent fees, legal fees, closing costs and moving expenses, can you really afford to shell out more to get your plumbing back in working order?  Or even worse, can you afford a major clean up and then repairs and renos just to fix the damage?

Paying extra for a proper plumbing inspection might sting a little at the time, but if a problem is found it will save you even more.  It will also give you some added negotiating power if you really want the house.

3. Peace of Mind
One of the realities of buying a new home is that if you don’t arrange an in-depth plumbing inspection before you close that deal, you are taking a big gamble.  Sometimes, things will work out fine and nothing bad will happen, but sometimes you’ll have to pay thousands of dollars to fix those plumbing problems that should have been caught ahead of time.  And unfortunately, even new homes aren’t immune to having plumbing issues underneath the surface.

If you knew that the home you wanted to buy had a few clogged drains or sewer gas leaking back into it, would you agree to buy it, as is?  If you knew you’d be standing ankle-deep n sewage in your basement in three months, would you still be eager to sign on the dotted line?

On top of the other reasons, getting a plumbing inspection done before you buy provides you with peace of mind.  If you’re thinking of making an offer on a home or even if you just moved into a new home, do yourself a huge favour and give us a call.