Selling Your Home? Don’t Forget About Your HVAC and Plumbing

The Phoenix area is home to one of the nation’s hottest real estate markets, and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. If you’re thinking of selling your home, it’s important that you do your best to make sure it stands out in a crowded market. Two often overlooked factors that could make or break your home sale are your home’s plumbing and HVAC systems. With our tips, you can make sure your plumbing and HVAC systems are the best they can be before you sell your home.

Schedule maintenance

With Arizona’s intense desert climate, potential homebuyers want to be reassured that the home they choose has equipment that’s up to the challenge of multiple triple-digit months. Annual maintenance is the best way to ensure your A/C and heating system is working at its best before you sell your home.

During a maintenance visit with Chas Roberts, a technician will check your system inside and out, performing vital tests and fixes to the crucial components your A/C and heating equipment needs to get the job done. Our exclusive 26-point maintenance plan includes:

• Checking refrigerant levels
• Inspecting the disconnect switch
• Checking the amperage draw on compressor
• Cleaning the condenser coil
• Checking air flow
• Checking air filter size
• And more important items to get your system working at its best

Check for leaks

If you’re concerned about a potential leak, before you do anything else, check the areas where a leak is most likely to occur. This includes under the sinks in your kitchens and bathrooms, showers, hoses, behind your refrigerators and washing machines, and anywhere else pipes can be seen throughout your home. Some leaks aren’t visible, though, and you’ll also need to keep your eye out for mold, bad smells, and additional signs of moisture that could indicate that a leak was present. Other signs of leaks include:

• A sudden loss of water pressure
• Inexplicably high water bills
• Puddles of water pooling around pipes and appliances

Banish plumbing odors

Sewer gas smell can plague seldom-used bathrooms and plumbing fixtures in your home. These odors can turn off potential homebuyers. Fortunately, you can get rid of foul plumbing odors with a few simple steps.

• Clean out bacterial growth in drains with baking soda and vinegar or an enzyme-based drain cleaner (avoid caustic chemical drain cleaners).
• Clean the sink overflow, the hole underneath or across from the faucet, with a small bottle brush.
• Run water down the drains of rarely used plumbing fixtures at least twice a month. This will ensure that the P-trap is full and keeps any bad smells at bay.
• Contact a professional if the sewer gas smell persists.

Look out for drain blockages

While you can’t exactly go deep down into your home’s sewer line to check for yourself, a video drain inspection is the next best thing. It allows a plumber to see the smallest of problems, whether you have a blockage, cracked pipe, root obstruction, or another issue. The best part is, a video drain inspection is quick and easy, with no damage to your pipes or your home.

After the inspection: drain cleaning

If a video inspection identifies a clog or blockage, the next step is to clean it out of the drain. At Chas Roberts, we utilize several drain cleaning methods to address problems both big and small.

Consider upgrades

Strategic plumbing and HVAC upgrades can help raise the value of your home and give it an edge over other homes on the market in the eyes of potential buyers. Here are some ideas.

Plumbing upgrades

Bathroom fixture upgrades

Realtor.com points out that bathrooms are one of the main rooms in your home that can make or break a potential buyer’s first impression. Even if they love the rest of your house, an old, cracked tub or rusty faucets might send them running to the next listing.

However, this doesn’t mean you need to spring for a total remodel. Research shows that even a minor bathroom remodel can provide a significant return on investment. This means that even just refinishing your tub, installing a new showerhead, or replacing your shower doors can pay off in a big way.

When it comes to upgrading your bathroom, the team at Chas Roberts can help with custom plumbing installations with your home in mind.

Efficiency and water conservation upgrades

Efficiency is a major draw for today’s homeowners, and having efficient plumbing fixtures is a great way to show that your home is designed with efficiency in mind. For example, low-flow shower heads are relatively inexpensive, and are designed to use less water than regular models. The average shower head uses approximately 2.5 GPM. Low flow shower heads use 2.5 or fewer GPM. Some shower heads fall into the ultra-low-flow category, using 1.5, 1, or even 0.5 GPM.

Similar to low-flow shower heads, low-flow faucet aerators screw right onto your existing faucet head and reduce water flow while maintaining water pressure. Inexpensive and easy to install, low-flow aerators pay for themselves after a few months with savings on your water and utility bills. By installing low-flow aerators on all the faucets in your home, you can save as much as 50% off your water and utility bills.

HVAC equipment upgrades

Upgrading to a new A/C and heating system

In a harsh desert climate like Arizona, it’s no surprise that having a well-functioning HVAC system is top of mind for many homebuyers. It isn’t necessary to buy a new air conditioning and/or heating system before selling your home, but if your air conditioner is over a decade old, potential homebuyers may hesitate to commit to an aging system. Additionally, if your air conditioner has any equipment problems, they would likely be uncovered during a home inspection, and you may be on the hook for fixing them as a condition of the sale.

If you notice any of the following signs with your system, it may be time to upgrade before selling your home.

• Strange noises
• Decreased efficiency
• Frequent starting and stopping
• Weak airflow
• Higher energy bills
• Frequent repairs

Thermostats

If your thermostat is several years old, upgrading to a new one can add new features and selling points for your home. In particular, upgrading to a new programmable or wi-fi enabled smart thermostat can give the new homeowners greater control over temperature and energy usage.

HVAC or Plumbing Questions? Ask Chas Roberts

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your system before selling your home, or you have any other questions related to all things cooling, heating, and plumbing, the experts at Chas Roberts are here to help. Contact us to get started.