Repiping does not increase a house’s price value. You cannot compare it to other renovations such as bedroom renovation, patio renovation, and extended living areas. However, it still adds value such as the accessibility to clean and potable water.
How long does it take to repipe a whole house?
Repiping a small house takes three to seven days while the bigger house will take more than a week to complete. But an important thing to remember is that the project is not only about replacing pipes, it has several to-do lists that you need to tick off to finish the process. Even if you hire a licensed plumber, getting involved with the process is necessary to avoid future problems.
Thorough inspection
The first step for the repiping project is the inspection. At this stage, you need to set an appointment with a licensed plumber to know the status of your piping system.
You will be informed about the current condition of the pipes and the suggested solution.
Hiring a licensed plumber is important at this point as the plumber expert can see all the details that you may have missed.
Decision Making
After the inspection and suggestion, it is time to decide on the type of pipes to be used in the repiping project.
A licensed plumber gives you the option and the project timeline so you can give a sound decision about the project.
Take note that the longer it takes for you to decide, the project delay gets longer as well.
Work duration and process
A typical setup for a repiping project is that the plumber works during the day where everyone else is at work or school.
It is done this way to ensure that no one gets annoyed with the water interruption during the repiping.
However, if you are staying at home or doing your work from home, you may need to inform the plumber about it. Informing the plumber will allow better communication to avoid conflicts during the repiping.
As I said earlier, it takes several days or weeks to complete the repiping as it depends on the size of a house.
It also depends on the difficult access points present in the piping system. The access points require more connections and more work that it takes time to replace all the pipes.
Once the replacement is completed, drywall will be installed. It is an extra phase that you may not think about as you are focused on replacing the pipes. The drywall installation is important because it brings back the walls into their original condition before the project starts.
Choosing the right contractor
Although hiring a contractor is not part of the repiping process, but I believe that it is necessary to include it in the process. Hiring a licensed plumber needs careful consideration and it takes time to find the right contractor.
If repiping is a part of your future project, you must consider this phase.
Does repiping a house add value?
Every potential house buyer has a checklist when buying a house. Most of the time, the things listed in their checklist are non-negotiable.
So real estate agents ensure that they offer the best deal to their clients. They do not only focus on the amenities and features of the house, but they also ensure that the piping system is in working condition especially for old houses.
Easy to sell
A house with a plumbing system in working condition is easy to sell. Take note that every household uses water.
If the plumbing system of your house does not provide potable water, you cannot expect a potential client to buy your house.
However, if your plumbing system is in excellent condition, you do not need to convince your potential client to consider your property.
Healthy potable water is one of the selling points of a house. It is one of the main concerns of buyers when they buy an old house. If you plan to sell your house in the future, never forget to repipe your plumbing system.
Peace of mind
Water leakage in the wee hours is one of the nightmares that a homeowner can experience. Who wants water back up on the toilet or a soaked carpet, anyway?
Nobody wants the disastrous scene. If you plan to sell your house, remember that you are not only selling a property. You are also selling experience. In this case, it is peace of mind.
When you repipe your plumbing system, it gives an impression to the buyer that the plumbing system will not deteriorate any time soon. You are giving them a guarantee that they can enjoy clean and healthy potable water for a long period.
Better material
When you repipe your house, you have the chance to shop for new material. Maybe you have been using a galvanized pipe for quite some time and wanted to shift to durable but cheaper material.
It can be that you wanted to shift to a more expensive but reliable material. Whichever the case, repiping can give you these options to maintain a reliable plumbing system.
Increase efficiency
It may not be evident but when you repipe your house, you are increasing the efficiency of your appliances that are connected to the plumbing system.
With a functional plumbing system, it means that there are no clogs on pipes, which makes the water pressure high.
A high water pressure guarantees that the appliances will receive the water from the source. A no-clogged pipe also provides a steady water supply that avoids interruption while using the appliances.
Restricts price haggling
Homebuyers love haggling. They negotiate to get the price down based on their budget. It is easy to give in when you are desperate to sell a house.
It is also easy to agree when you know that there are a lot of things to fix on your house.
But if you know that your house has an excellent plumbing system, you can upsell that to your potential buyer. You do not need to lower your price.
How much does a repiping add to house value?
Repiping does not increase the price cost of your house. Yes, even if you have spent more than a thousand dollars, it does not increase the appraisal of your house.
Most buyers are not concerned with repiped plumbing systems, especially with fixed uppers. So upselling a house using repiping to get a deal is not effective.
Homebuyers only pay for a higher rate for renovations such as kitchen renovation, bathroom fixtures renovation, newly painted walls, new flooring, well-manicured landscape, extended living space, and energy-efficient house.
But I am not saying that repiping is not important. It is important. It is just that home buyers are not interested that much. But you can inform them about it so they will know the importance of having a good plumbing system.
Investment
Repiping is a good investment for homeowners. The materials used for repiping lasts for a long period in a desirable environment.
Even you shell out money for the repiping, you do not need to repipe every year. So you can consider it as a good investment.
Conclusion
Repiping is one of the things that some homeowners neglect in maintaining a house. Most of the time, they are focused on the structure’s renovation but not on the things that are not visible to the eyes.
They only pay attention to its importance when the water on the toilet starts to back up or the water from the faucet has a rusty color.
As a responsible homeowner, you must include repiping on your plans whether you will sell your house or not. What matters is the health of your family and not just the house’s aesthetic appeal.
