How many times in your life have you talked about the appeal of a house and mentioned the plumbing?
That’s why, when you’re prepping your house for sale, you probably don’t give the subject much thought. As long as there are no leaks and no noises coming from the sink, the plumbing probably won’t be an issue with anyone looking to buy your home.
Still, that doesn’t mean you should ignore plumbing when putting your house up for sale.
A potential buyer might think to check and that means flushing all the toilets, turning on all the faucets and checking out the showerhead. And maybe there’s a slight problem that you have learned to live with through the years, but it’s enough of a buzzkill to end any hope of this buyer placing a bid.
Additionally, you may have buyers who are skilled in home improvement look under the cabinets for leaks or checks for water spots around key areas. The last thing you want is for a sale to be ruined because you didn’t take the time to fix a simple plumbing issue.
Before allowing people into your home, make sure you have strong water pressure and that there are no stains on any of the porcelain. If you have a difficult stain to remove, hire a local house cleaning company on a one-time basis, as they often have the materials to make the stains go away.
If you do nothing else, take care of any leaks in your plumbing system, as these can be an instant deterrent for buyers. You should also check as much of your plumbing as possible for corrosion or rust. Be sure to thoroughly check any plumbing that’s easily accessible, since potential buyers will likely be checking for signs of any problems here, too.
If your house has more than one story, a buyer might look at ceilings to check for water stains from leaking pipes. Even if the problem had been fixed long ago, make sure to paint the ceiling so no alarm bells go off.
You should also make sure that sinks and tubs are draining easily, and if not, there are plenty of un-clog solutions you can buy at your local supermarket. It couldn’t hurt to clean the drain yourself of any hairs or debris.
Prospective homeowners tend to focus on things where they can use their hands, so make sure that all the hot and cold water knobs are easy to turn and that the faucets do not leak. If they do, replace the washers.
The look is important as well. Having nice shiny fixtures makes an impression and it doesn’t cost much to replace them. Matching faucets for the different bathrooms in your home will also give the house a polished, finished appearance.
