Pre-purchase checks
- 1Service linelead, galvanized or copper
- 2Main valvedoes it close
- 3Stack and drainscast iron condition
- 4Sewer cameraroots, breaks, sags
- 5Water heaterowned or rented
01What to look for
In a postwar Scarborough house, look at the pipe entering the basement, the stack, the floor drain and the water heater. Ask about past basement flooding. Ask whether a backwater valve is installed.
A sewer camera inspection before you firm up an offer can reveal hidden problems.
02Rental contracts
If the water heater or furnace is rented, the agreement normally passes to the buyer. Request a copy.
03Renovations
Ask whether past plumbing work had permits, especially basement bathrooms.
04Questions for the seller
Ask how many times the main drain has been cleared and by whom. Ask whether the basement has ever taken water, and from where. Ask if the floor drain has a backwater valve under an access cover, and whether the downspouts were disconnected. Ask for any permit records for the basement bathroom. Sellers will not always know, but the answers, or the hesitation, tell you where to aim the inspection money.
05Budgeting the first year
If the camera shows a root-packed clay lateral, or the supply to the upstairs bath is still galvanized, those are known costs rather than surprises. Price them before you firm up, not after you get the keys. A short visit from a plumber during the conditional period is cheap compared with digging up a front lawn in your first spring.