Contrary to what you might expect, purchasing a house with a newly renovated bathroom in Encinitas does not guarantee that its plumbing is in good shape. According to expert plumbers, renovations are actually the easiest and fastest way to hide any plumbing problems that an unscrupulous home seller would conceal from you—at least until the very moment that the ink on the deed of sale dries off.
This poses a potentially big problem to your finances. A house, after all, is not a small purchase. Chances are, you won’t even have enough funds to spend on fixing whatever is wrong with the plumbing system.
This poses a potentially big problem to your finances. A house, after all, is not a small purchase. Chances are, you won’t even have enough funds to spend on fixing whatever is wrong with the plumbing system.
The best option to uncovering such a faux pas in bathroom renovation is to hire your own expert, qualified plumber to inspect the plumbing. I can’t tell you how often we are called in to perform a plumbing leak detection only to find that the previous plumber did a shoddy job. Still, if you happen to notice any of the following signs on your own, then it will be a good time to rethink your impending purchase.
Check the paint job
Other than a way to make the property enticing to buyers, a new paint job might also mean that the seller is hiding something other than an outdated wallpaper. Always make it a habit to check the walls and ceiling for traces of dampness. A damp patch on the wall or ceiling is a strong indicator that the home had a plumbing or water leak. If you contact a leak detection specialist we have tools that can detect even the slightest amount of moisture behind a freshly painted wall.
Be extra-meticulous in your visual inspection
You might be tempted to skip visual inspection of the bathroom. After all, as long as it looks decent and has running water, then it should be okay, right? Yet the little details can actually tell you if the bathroom renovation is successful or if the renovation is just to cover up a huge plumbing problem.
If you see uneven or crooked tiles, messy grouts, and poor trimmings, chances are the same shoddy work applies to the plumbing as well. If the home seller seems fine with a slapdash bathroom renovation, he or she is not the kind to spend the appropriate amount of money on good plumbing.
Always ask who did what
Be wary of sellers who prefer do-it-yourself projects, they can be a nightmare. Unless the seller is a plumber, there’s no way he can build a completely sound plumbing system for the bathroom. The most able building contractor is wise enough to leave all those pipes and drain systems to an expert plumber. Even a smaller house with just 2 bathrooms can have as many 20-25 separate water lines running under the floor, through the walls and above the ceiling. When the walls are up, you can not see where the lines run or which is hot and which is cold.
Of course, it is always recommended to receive an expert opinion on these things before making the final decision. If the problem can still be fixed, and with an expert plumber they always can be fixed, you can & should ask the home seller to remedy the problem on their own. At the very least, you save a future expense and are able to happily live and relax inside your new home.
Sources:
Hidden plumbing problems & how to uncover them, RealEstate.com.au
Common plumbing problems & how to fix them, RealEstate.com.au
Check the paint job
Other than a way to make the property enticing to buyers, a new paint job might also mean that the seller is hiding something other than an outdated wallpaper. Always make it a habit to check the walls and ceiling for traces of dampness. A damp patch on the wall or ceiling is a strong indicator that the home had a plumbing or water leak. If you contact a leak detection specialist we have tools that can detect even the slightest amount of moisture behind a freshly painted wall.
Be extra-meticulous in your visual inspection
You might be tempted to skip visual inspection of the bathroom. After all, as long as it looks decent and has running water, then it should be okay, right? Yet the little details can actually tell you if the bathroom renovation is successful or if the renovation is just to cover up a huge plumbing problem.
If you see uneven or crooked tiles, messy grouts, and poor trimmings, chances are the same shoddy work applies to the plumbing as well. If the home seller seems fine with a slapdash bathroom renovation, he or she is not the kind to spend the appropriate amount of money on good plumbing.
Always ask who did what
Be wary of sellers who prefer do-it-yourself projects, they can be a nightmare. Unless the seller is a plumber, there’s no way he can build a completely sound plumbing system for the bathroom. The most able building contractor is wise enough to leave all those pipes and drain systems to an expert plumber. Even a smaller house with just 2 bathrooms can have as many 20-25 separate water lines running under the floor, through the walls and above the ceiling. When the walls are up, you can not see where the lines run or which is hot and which is cold.
Of course, it is always recommended to receive an expert opinion on these things before making the final decision. If the problem can still be fixed, and with an expert plumber they always can be fixed, you can & should ask the home seller to remedy the problem on their own. At the very least, you save a future expense and are able to happily live and relax inside your new home.
Sources:
Hidden plumbing problems & how to uncover them, RealEstate.com.au
Common plumbing problems & how to fix them, RealEstate.com.au
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