Buying a home? Know what the plumbing is hiding first.

Buying a house is one of the biggest purchases most of us ever make. In Canberra it almost always comes with a building and pest inspection as a matter of course. The plumbing, though, tends to get waved through. That is a shame, because the plumbing is where some of the more expensive surprises hide, and most of them are invisible on a quick walk through with the agent.

We get called out to plenty of homes in the first few months after settlement, once a new owner discovers a problem that was quietly there the whole time. So here is an honest run through of what a pre-purchase plumbing inspection is, what it actually checks, and whether it is worth doing.

What is a pre-purchase plumbing inspection?

It is a check of a property's plumbing, drainage and gas, carried out by a licensed plumber before you buy, so you know the real condition of what you are taking on. Think of it as the plumbing equivalent of the building and pest report. The plumber looks specifically at the wet parts of the house and tests a few things that a general inspection will not.

Does a building inspection already cover the plumbing?

Not to the same depth. A building inspector does a visual assessment and will note the obvious, like a dripping tap or a water stain on a ceiling. What they generally do not do is run a camera down the drains, pressure test the system, or properly assess how much life is left in the hot water unit. Those are exactly the checks that catch the costly problems, and they are the reason a separate plumbing look can be worth it.

Why it matters in Canberra specifically

A few things about Canberra homes make the plumbing worth a closer look:

• Older inner suburbs. Homes in the older parts of the inner north and inner south can still have ageing galvanised steel or earthenware pipes that corrode and crack over time.
• Established trees and clay soil. Canberra has a lot of mature street trees and reactive clay soils. Roots find their way into older clay sewer pipes, and ground movement can crack or misalign them.
• Cold winters. Frosts and cold snaps put extra stress on outdoor taps, exposed pipework and older fittings.

What does a plumbing inspection actually check?

Every home is different, but a thorough check usually covers:

• Water pressure and flow at several taps and showers, so weak spots show up.
• The hot water system, including its age and condition and whether it is near the end of its life.
• Drains and sewer, ideally with a CCTV camera where there is access, to spot blockages, root intrusion, and cracked or misaligned pipes.
• Signs of leaks, past and present, including a meter test that can reveal water being lost when everything is turned off.
• Gas fittings and appliances, and whether the work looks like it was done by a licensed gas fitter.
• Toilets, taps and wet areas for silent leaks and worn parts.
• Roof plumbing, gutters and stormwater drainage around the property.
• Any obvious unlicensed or DIY work that has not been done to standard.

What are the common problems it picks up?

The issues we see most often in Canberra homes are tree roots in the sewer line, a hot water unit that is quietly near the end, old galvanised pipes that have narrowed and dropped the pressure, poor stormwater drainage that pools near the house, hidden leaks that have been slowly adding to a water bill, and the occasional bit of DIY work that was never done properly. None of these are the end of the world. They are just far better to know about before you own them.

When should you book it?

The most useful time is before your offer becomes unconditional, alongside your building and pest inspection, so you have the full picture before you commit. The way contracts and cooling off work in the ACT means there is usually a window to do your due diligence, but timing and conditions vary from sale to sale, so it is always worth confirming with your conveyancer or solicitor. If you have already bought, an inspection early on is still useful for planning and budgeting.

What happens if it finds something?

Finding an issue is not automatically a reason to walk away. It is information, and information gives you options. Depending on what turns up, you might factor the cost into your offer, budget to fix it after you settle, or in more serious cases think harder about whether the place is right for you. Either way, you are making the call with your eyes open rather than inheriting a surprise a few weeks in.