Yesterday we got a call from a customer who had just bought a Bath townhouse but was having trouble getting the boiler to work. The property was stunning, decorated to perfection with beautifully landscaped gardens. Sadly, as it turned out the boiler (an old Worcestor Bosch) had seen better days and we quickly established that it would need replacing. As you can imagine the owner was not best pleased with this news as she was led to believe all was well with the heating and plumbing for her new dream family home.
So that got us thinking, when you view a property, how can you check that the plumbing is in good order?
Here at Ace Energy we’ve put together a few tips to avoid costly plumbing and heating repairs when buying a house. Use them when you first view the house to save time and money later down the line.
Water
Are there water stains in any of the rooms? Do the rooms smell damp? Double check those rooms directly below the bathroom and kitchen. Water marks could be the result of leaking pipes.
Boiler
Expensive to replace, take a good look, does it look new? Ask the current owner when they installed it? Do they still have the paperwork? Is it still under warranty? Ask to see it working, does it switch on easily? Most responsible home owners will have their boiler serviced annually, so ask to see the paperwork which will support this.
Bathroom
Hard to check the drains themselves but don’t be afraid to flush the toilets and ask to see the shower working, the water should come out of the shower fairly smoothly and drain away quickly, if it doesn’t this could be a sign of blocked drain.
Check the taps. Are the covered in limescale? If so, this could be a property in a hard water area and may benefit from having a water softener fitted. Find out now and build this into your purchase costs. If the owner is using a lot of air freshners in the room they may be hiding damp smells from leaky pipes or blocked drains.
So to summarise if you are currently viewing properties with a view to purchasing your dream home, then it really will save you money in the long run if you carry out these simply checks as early on as possible. If you suspect something is not quite right with the boiler, plumbing or drainage then talk to the owner or agent and if there is a problem which will take money to correct, use this as bargaining power when making an offer.
To help you, we are always on standby for advice and can even accompany you to viewings if you have concerns. Telephone 01225 729005 for more information. www.aceheat.co.uk