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Plumbing Problems in Older Homes in Louisville

By
Real Estate Agent with Dave Halpern Real Estate Agent, Inc., Louisville, KY (502) 664-7827

Louisville KY has many historic neighborhoods such as Highlands, Original Highlands, Germantown, Butchertown, Clifton, Crescent Hill and more. Within and underneath beautiful historic homes are plumbing materials that simply do not stand the test of time. 

corroded plumbing Louisville          Corroded plumbing in slab

Brass, galvanized steel, copper and cast iron have projected life spans of decades. That's a long time, but decades eventually pass. 

Before buying a home that id fifty years old or older, the buyer must pay careful attention to the plumbing.

  • Check the seller disclosure for disclosed plumbing problems. 
  • Make sure your home inspector thoroughly check for leaks, stoppages, slow draining and water pressure problems.
  • Consider hiring a plumber who specializes in older homes to scope the lines with special cameras.
  • Always work with a Realtor who is knowledgable and experienced with older homes.

Excavating and repairing plumbing that has failed is very expensive and disruptive, as can be seen in the video here: http://sellbuylouisvillehomes.com/blog/Beware+Of+Plumbing+Problems+In+Older+Houses

Plumbing problems are not limited to historic neighborhoods in Louisville. Homes built in the 1960's are in all over East End of Louisville and the South End of Louisville. From Valley Village in the south to Westport Road and beyond in the east - always be cautious when considering the future maintenance of aging plumbing.

Please call me any time for help in buying or selling a home in Louisville, KY. Dave Halpern, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty Louisville East (502) 664-7827 

To sell: http://dave.sellbuylouisvillehomes.com/sell.php

To search homes to buy: http://dave.sellbuylouisvillehomes.com/index.php

 

TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Brentwood, TN
Home Inspectons - Nashville, TN area - 615.661.029

Good morning Dale. Like Louisville, Nashville has a lot of older historic properties as well. We run into the same issues.

Dec 23, 2014 05:37 PM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Old homes that were built before plumbing. Re plumbing, adding to the waterworks part of the joy or curse of older structures loaded with character, less than ideal workmanship or plain worn out major systems.

Dec 23, 2014 10:18 PM
Richard Robibero, e-Pro, ABR, SRS
Panorama R.E. Limited - Toronto, ON
Selling Your Home as if it were My Own!

Dave Halpern ... I has a client who was only interested in looking at 100 year old homes and I let them know that this type of house will have 100 year old problems (some brand new homes have 100 year old problems too but I digress).

As mentioned it's worth the added expense to get someone in who knows what to look for.

Dec 23, 2014 10:20 PM
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

When these old homes speak up via repairs....people HAVE to take note

Dec 23, 2014 10:41 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Anyone looking to buy a home in your area should call you to be their agent.

Dec 24, 2014 06:40 AM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Burlington, MA
Metro Boston Homes For Sale

Dave Halpern it's not so uncommon to see such problems in older homes here in MA, too. 

Dec 24, 2014 07:58 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

None of us wants to be there when the pipes burst. Safety comes first in all of these cases.

Dec 24, 2014 03:35 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

I'm sure both you Dave Halpern and Praful Thakkar are going to have very similar experiences in all the basics of the business. Best holiday wishes to both of you head to the other commenters!

Dec 24, 2014 03:39 PM
Sham Reddy CRS
Howard Hanna RE Services, Dayton, OH - Dayton, OH
CRS

Thanks Dave for a very informative article on one of the most important aspects of homeownership and maintenance.  If the pressure don't hold up, please check it out.  One of the most undectable aspects of the plumbing is the leaks in the underground pipes coming into the house from the street for which you are responsible espectially if the meter is at the street, since you are responsible for the usage and its on the house side of the meter

Dec 24, 2014 07:34 PM
Evelyn Kennedy
Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA
Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Dave:

I live in a city with homes well over 100 years old.  Many have had their plumbing systens updated but not all.  I always suggest that buyers have an inspection report on the home to be sure they know the full of extent of the problem.

Dec 26, 2014 06:19 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Dave, like you, I have a market area with some really, really old houses with very funky plumbing.  And my own house was full of galvanized stuff that I've now replaced.  Selling This Old House is so much fun!

Jan 10, 2015 10:28 AM