A plumbing checkup should be among your top priorities when preparing your home for sale. Potential buyers will flush toilets, turn on faucets and inspect shower heads. More seasoned “experts” will look under the cabinets for leaks and check for water spots. The last thing you want is to drench a buyer’s enthusiasm because you didn’t fix a simple plumbing issue.
Major plumbing renovations may be huge selling points, but many homeowners can get as much credit by simply fixing leaks and changing out a few faucets. If you can’t make repairs yourself invest in a reputable plumber.
There are some simple things you can do before allowing prospective buyers into your home:
- Make sure you have adequate water pressure.
- Hire a local housecleaning company to remove difficult stains on porcelain.
- Check as much of your plumbing as possible for corrosion or rust.
- If you do nothing else, fix any leaks—they will surely be an instant deterrent for buyers. If your house has more than one story, a smart buyer will look at ceilings for water stains from leaking pipes. And of course, paint the ceiling following repairs.
- Make sure that all faucet knobs are easy to turn and that sinks and tubs drain easily.
- Updated fixtures catch the eye of prospective buyers. A relatively small investment for new faucets can really pay off.
No buyer wants problems. So take care of a few simple plumbing issues and prevent your sale from going down the drain.
