Selling? The Plumbing and HVAC Items Buyers Will Find

Buyers in the Rockwall and Collin County market almost always order an inspection, and the inspection report almost always has a plumbing and HVAC section with items in it. Each item becomes a repair request, a credit or a reason to walk. Sellers tend to fix the ones they know about and get surprised by the rest. This is the list of what a competent inspector looks at, so you can see it first.

What an inspector checks on the plumbing side

• Water pressure at a hose bib. High pressure gets written up because it shortens the life of everything. If the pressure reducing valve has failed, replacing it is a simple, visible fix.
• Every drain, for speed. A slow bathroom sink is a two-minute pop-up stopper clean; a slow tub is a hair clog. Both go on the report if left.
• Every toilet, for running, rocking and flushing. A toilet that rocks at the floor is a flange question and a red flag to buyers even when it is minor.
• Under every sink, for moisture, corrosion on the stop valves and aged supply lines.
• The water heater: age from the serial number, signs of corrosion or leaks, the relief valve discharge, the pan and drain on an attic install, and whether it has an expansion tank where one is required.
• Visible supply piping, with particular attention to polybutylene or galvanized steel in older homes. These are disclosure items, not repair items, but you want to know before the buyer tells you.
• The hose bibs, for drips and for anti-siphon fittings.
• Signs of past leaks: stains under sinks, on ceilings, at the base of the water heater.

What an inspector checks on the HVAC side

• Age of the outdoor unit and the furnace or air handler, from the data plates.
• Temperature split across the indoor coil. A weak split gets written as a possible refrigerant or coil issue and invites a specialist inspection.
• Condition of the filter, the blower compartment and the evaporator coil if accessible. A filthy filter is a small thing that signals neglect on the whole report.
• Condensate drain, pan and overflow switch on an attic unit.
• Visible duct condition in the attic: disconnected, crushed or unsupported runs.
• The outdoor unit: coil condition, level, clearance, and whether the disconnect and whip are intact.
• Furnace operation, flame appearance, and the venting on a gas unit.
• Thermostat operation in both modes.

What is worth fixing before listing

The cheap, visible items: running toilets, dripping faucets, slow drains, a corroded stop valve, a missing water heater pan drain, a dirty filter, a failed pressure reducing valve. Each is a small job that removes a line from the report. A sewer camera inspection is worth considering on any pre-1980 home, because a buyer's inspector will recommend one, and it is better to know the result before the offer than during the option period.

What is usually not worth fixing

Replacing a working but old water heater or AC system to pre-empt the buyer. Old equipment is disclosed, priced into the offer, and often negotiated as a credit rather than a replacement. Spending on new equipment rarely returns its cost at closing. The exception is a system that is failing now, in summer, in a house you need to show; buyers walk through hot houses quickly.

Disclosure

Texas requires sellers to disclose known defects and previous repairs. Past slab leaks, foundation work, sewer replacements and polybutylene or galvanized piping belong on the disclosure form. Disclosing a repaired slab leak with the invoice attached is far better received than a buyer's inspector finding a patched floor and no explanation. Keep receipts for anything we have done; we can reissue them if you have lost them.

Permits

If a water heater, HVAC system or gas line was replaced without a permit, it can surface when the buyer's lender or title company checks municipal records, or when the inspector notes work with no record. Where a permit can be pulled retroactively, it is worth asking the city before listing. Where it cannot, disclose the work.

Family-owned in Rockwall, licensed and insured. TX Master Plumber TXM11693, TX HVAC TACLB2360E. (469) 338-5533.