What to Look for When Buying a New Home

When shopping for any home, especially one in Brooklyn or Manhattan, it’s incredibly important to inspect it thoroughly. If purchased hastily, you can spend thousands of dollars and countless hours dealing with repairs, damages and even legal issues. With many homes in the greater Brooklyn area built before 1950, vital systems could very well be past their prime.

Of the numerous systems that make a home work, plumbing is one of the most fundamental. When shopping for your next New York City home, make sure you understand its plumbing system with these helpful tips from your trusted Brooklyn plumber– Petri Plumbing.

• Search for leaks: Leaks can either be obvious or hidden, so inspecting a home’s entire plumbing system is advised to ensure proper working order. In addition to piping, fixtures and appliances such as toilets, sprinklers, and washing machines can also hide wasted water. Inspecting these systems before you buy can give you a baseline of repairs needed to better develop your budget.
• Inspect materials: Due to the older age of Brooklyn and Manhattan homes, some plumbing systems may consist of lead piping. A professional home inspection can determine if lead is used. If so, a trusted plumber can also best inform you of options for replacement as the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule requires certified professionals to perform certain work on lead materials. Handling lead yourself is not only dangerous, but against federal ruling.
• Determine build quality: While a plumbing system may appear to be installed properly to the untrained eye, a professional can determine any weak points or shoddy build quality efforts that may require attention. Check to see if insulation is installed properly and if every fixture is pressurized and functional. If the home you’re looking at is connected to a septic system instead of a municipal sewer, make sure it was set up properly for drainage and function.

While there are many functions and features to inspect when home shopping, inspecting the plumbing system can give you leverage in the negotiation process and overall buying power. To maximize your efforts, it is best recommended to conduct the home inspection with a trusted professional plumber and in the Brooklyn and Manhattan areas, Petri Plumbing has been that source since 1906. To find out more, contact us today at 718-748-1254.