It is always good to do your research when buying a new home. Besides the usual checks like the beetle and electrical certificates what else do you need to know? From a plumbers point of view, you should know the following:
- if it is an old house, what is the condition of the piping in the house and do you see any signs of internal leaking for example wetness/mould in the walls?
- how old is the geyser and is there a guarantee on it and has it been installed correctly with an overflow pipe and drip tray?
- are there any trees growing near to the external drainage systems and are the roots of these trees affecting them?
- and most importantly where are all the stopcocks?
For the first 3 questions you may need a plumber to do the check for you because you need to get a proper evaluation for these very technical questions. Your plumber will be able to give you a good evaluation as well as a the cost involved should repairs be required. Which you could then use to discount the price of the house for the use of the repairs.
Question number 4 is very important as you need to know where to cut off the water supply if you should be unfortunate enough to experience a burst geyser. Knowing where to shut off your water supply could save you a lot of frustration, money and stress.