If you are on the lookout for a new home, then you should also prepare yourself for some thorough inspections. It is true that finding a new place for your family can get really overwhelming but you should not let this cloud your judgment. Otherwise, you could end up buying a nightmare instead of a dream home.
It is very easy to overlook some aspects of the house, especially if they have nothing to do with its overall aesthetics. But upon closer look, you would realize that there are, indeed, a lot of components that require thorough inspection. It is important to have these inspections done if you want to avoid future repairs that can get expensive. Among these components, a home’s plumbing system should be at the top of your list.
It is particularly important because of the fact that it is out of sight and often overlooked until problems arise. But before you pay for the home, have a reliable plumber to inspect specific plumbing components.
Main Sewer Line
Have your agent find out what type of sewer the home has (if he or she does not have that information yet). Some properties are already equipped with their own septic tanks and others just send their waste through a municipal sewer system.
Septic tanks are built with concrete, fiberglass, or steel and could hold 1,000 to 1,500 gallons of waste. They are often buried a few feet below the surface. If the system is working properly, waste water from the house would flow into the tank through the sewage line. Liquid flows out into the distribution box. The effluent in the distribution box is evenly distributed into the drain field through pipes that are found underground.
Despite such a seemingly foolproof system, things can still go wrong. Too much usage can overtax even the best functioning systems. If too much waste water is drained into the system the drainage field may be unable to accommodate such a large volume.
Before moving into a house with a septic system, make sure that its septic system can handle what your family requires it to handle. There could be a problem if you have a large family and you are taking up permanent residence in what was originally built as vacation home intended for seasonal use.
Find out how the septic system was maintained too. Generally, a septic tank should be pumped for cleaning every two years but very few people observe proper maintenance of their tanks.
But whether the tank was maintained properly or not, it is still best to have a professional check its condition. After all, you don’t want to wake up one day in your new home with septic-related problems that you can’t deal with.
