PLUMBING PROBLEMS

Buildings in particular, but also villa communities, have extensive plumbing within them. Much of that plumbing is concealed within concrete floors and walls which are susceptible to structural movement. This means if there is a plumbing problem it can be expensive to fix and may require access to a number of units at inconvenient times. It may also result in service disruption as water is shut off to enable work to proceed. Plumbing problems are therefore of concern to residents and will be of concern to a purchaser.

From a cost perspective, it is not uncommon to see plumbing repair costs for older buildings climbing to as much as $50,000 annually. This is particularly so where pipes need to be replaced and access to the pipes requires interference with internal finishes to units.

The inspector will make every effort to determine whether there are plumbing problems or whether there are signs that typically indicate that there may be such problems in the future. Sometimes there is a history, including reports, that make this easy to determine. In other cases it can be very difficult to fairly interpret circumstances that may be indicative of future problems. Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether the plumbing problem is current or historical. The purchaser should carefully read the inspector’s comments under the headings “Plumbing Problems”, “Water Penetration Problems”, “Building Defects and Other Matters” and “Historical Information” to form their own judgment on the likelihood of future plumbing problems.