Increasing Your Home’s Value Through A Plumbing Upgrade

Why Upgrade Your Plumbing?

As a homeowner, you’ve probably thought of several upgrades and renovations you might undertake in order to increase the property value of your home. It is highly likely that upgrading your plumbing is not an option that has come to mind. That is typical, since plumbing is rarely seen and not always on the forefront of the minds of anyone seeking to purchase your home.

To be fair, not all improvements will actually increase your home value, so it’s important to choose the upgrades that will give you the biggest return on investment. Whether or not your value goes up depends, of course, on many factors including your home’s current value, the value of comparable homes in your area and the given real estate market. However, on the whole, improvements to the functionality of the home — especially when it comes to your home’s kitchen and bath, two very important rooms of the house — will cause the value to climb. Upgrading your plumbing or maintaining your current plumbing efficiently throughout your time in the house can have a positive effect on your home’s value and may also make a great deal of difference when it comes time for inspection.

What Kinds Of Plumbing Improvements Can You Make?

Functional improvements are typically the best kind of improvements you can make and plumbing upgrades can be a great example of this. For these upgrades to pay off, though, they should be done more for market requirements when possible and less for personal interests. For example, improving plumbing to meet the city code, insurance requirements for your home, or to prevent floods are all functional improvements. On the other hand, adding a whirlpool tub in the bathroom may be a personal choice. While cosmetic upgrades will help, functional improvements are likely to net you a bigger return on your upgrade investment.

Keeping Up With The Upkeep

While it is recommended that a homeowner upgrade their plumbing fixtures and devices with high efficiency plumbing in order to save energy and money, it is not required. But if you don’t plan on upgrading, the most important thing you can do for your home’s property value is to at least keep up with regular maintenance and any necessary repairs.

Leaky pipes, dripping faucets, and running toilets will all cost you money and waste potentially thousands of gallons of water over time. If you are selling your home, an inspector will certainly inspect the plumbing — and a poorly rated plumbing system or one in need of repairs will not look good on his report. Additionally, leaks allowed to continue for extended periods of time (or those that have gone unnoticed) can also cause considerable damage to your home.

1. Start With The Water Heater

   While pipes underneath sinks and behind walls might escape a prospective home buyer’s attention, a water heater in bad condition definitely will not. Water heaters are important components in any home, and even if you aren’t planning on selling your home, purchasing a new water heater (or at the very least making sure your current one functions correctly and doesn’t look like junk) can help increase your home’s potential value.

2. Is Your Water Pressure OK?

   Water pressure is very important to some people. Make sure all your water flows smoothly, and that water pressure is accurate. This is also important even if you aren’t selling your home, because water that doesn’t flow smoothly or as strong as you think it should could indicate hidden plumbing problems.

3. Install New Fixtures

   Fancy new sinks, tubs with jets, multi-position shower heads — they all add a bit of luxury to a kitchen or bathroom and don’t have to cause a big dent in your wallet. A few changes here and there can give a kitchen or bathroom a bold new look, as well as improve the quality of living in your home for you and your family. If you are considering hiring a professional Southwest Florida plumbing contractor to upgrade or remodel your plumbing fixtures, give Avis a call today. We can help you upgrade the look of your kitchen or bath while providing you with functional improvements that will increase your home’s value.

4. Look Into High Efficiency Plumbing

   Designed to significantly decrease water consumption and energy (which will, of course, save you money on utility bills in the short term), high efficiency plumbing will certainly serve to improve your home value and make it look more attractive to prospective buyers. This can be anything from simple faucet aerators, to high efficiency shower heads, to high efficiency toilets that use much less water per flush than your standard toilet does.

Make Sure You Hire A Professional Cape Coral Plumber

It’s important that any upgrades you make to your plumbing actually improve your home’s value and that time and money isn’t wasted. Avoid costly mistakes and “do overs” by hiring a licensed professional plumber like Avis Plumbing & Air Conditioning. Hiring a professional Cape Coral plumber will ensure that things are done correctly the first time, and that you won’t wind up with a major problem on your hands instead of . If you are looking to improve your home’s value, give Avis a call at (239) 542-4421.