How a Home Services Company Can Help When Selling Your Home in Bucks County
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Bucks County is a perfect place to settle down. The active culture, charming towns, great food, and proximity to both Philadelphia and New York have made Bucks a desirable destination for prospective homebuyers. In fact, the demand for homes in Bucks County has been so high that realtors are struggling to keep up with the demand, especially in the past few years. This demand has also caused home prices to rise, with the median sale price for Bucks County homes reaching $470,000 in October of 2024 – representing a 5% increase from the previous year!
For homeowners who are looking to change to a property that better suits their changing lifestyles, this influx of homebuyers presents an opportunity to sell. Many homeowners are getting their homes ready to show to potential buyers. If you’ve ever bought or sold a home, you know how stressful this process can be. You not only need to ensure that your home looks desirable both inside and out, but you also need to prepare your home for the inevitable inspection that will take place before the sale. To make this process easier for both the buyer and the seller, many homeowners are turning to home service experts to perform inspections of their home’s vital components to make certain that everything is working properly – and to make updates where necessary.
If you’re considering selling your home, it may be a good idea to partner with an experienced home services company in Bucks County to inspect your home – particularly your electrical components and plumbing. Here are a few ways a home services company can help when selling your Bucks County home:
Sewer Lateral Inspection
A sewer lateral inspection is one of the most important services to consider when selling your home. A plumber will typically be the best professional to use for this service since it requires specialized equipment and knowledge. During a sewer line inspection in Bucks County, the plumber will examine the underground pipes that connect the home’s plumbing system to the municipal sewer system. This is accomplished by running a camera through the sewer lateral line to inspect it from within.
In real time, the plumber can review the pipe for blockages caused by grease buildup, waste material buildup, or tree root intrusion. These factors can contribute to slow drainage within the home, if not full-scale backups in the system. Additionally, they can check for damage to the sewer line – including cracks or breaks – and signs of deterioration in older systems. Ensuring that this line is in proper working order is essential, as it will likely be a requirement to make repairs to the damaged or deteriorated line prior to the sale. Even if it’s not required, it is still a good practice to be open about issues with the sewer lateral line so the new potential buyer can be aware.
For some older homes that are common in Bucks County, the plumbing system may utilize cast iron or clay pipes that are much more easily damaged over time. If you have an older home, then a sewer lateral inspection can be essential to the home selling process for this reason alone. In some cases, it may be necessary to dig up the line so that vital plumbing components can be replaced. In this case, you’ll want to find a plumber who offers excavation services in Bucks County – they will have the necessary experience and equipment to make all necessary repairs before you go to settlement.
Clearing Clogged Drains & Lines
Clogs can appear anywhere that you have running water in your home, though they are most common in bathtubs, kitchen sinks, and bathroom sinks. If your home experiences slow drainage or frequent clogs, this may be due to a full drain somewhere in your plumbing system. While it may be tempting for homeowners to take the less expensive option of drain-clearing chemicals to resolve these issues, this may not be the best move. Many people don’t know this, but drain cleaning chemicals are extremely corrosive and can even affect the pipes in your plumbing system – particularly if the pipes are older to begin with. This can cause more harm than good, and may lead to more expensive repairs over time.
As a precaution, it may be wise for homesellers to work with a licensed and insured plumber in Bucks County to clear their drains preemptively – the safe way. Find a plumber who offers powered drain snakes and hydro-jetting drain clearing in Bucks County as an effective way to resolve ongoing clogs. A reputable plumber will have these tools on hand to quickly remove the source of the clog. A drain snake can be used to pull the source of the clog out through the drain, while a hydro-jet will use a powerful blast of water to forcibly clear the line, causing obstructions to flush down the drain in no time.
Water Heater Inspection
A water heater is an expensive piece of equipment, making it an important part of the home inspection and selling process. There may be signs that something is wrong with your unit – such as long heating times, low water pressure, discolored water, or strange noises – though some issues can be undetectable unless examined by a professional. Sediment buildup is one such issue, caused by the accumulation of mineral deposits in your water over time. Ensuring that your water heater is well maintained over time can decrease these issues and potentially extreme the lifespan of your unit.
The lifespan of a water heater can vary from unit to unit, with some lasting as little as six years while others may last twenty years. Different power sources for your water heater can also affect their lifespan: a gas water heater has the shortest at just 6-12 years, an electric water heater is in the middle with a span of 12-15 years, and a tankless unit may last 20 years or more with proper maintenance. If you have not replaced your water heater recently, then you will absolutely need to get it inspected – and maybe even replaced – before selling your home. If your unit is over 10 years old, then a replacement is imminent.
Working with an experienced plumber to inspect, maintain, repair, or even install a new water heater in your Bucks County home may be crucial to the sales process. When you have your water heater inspected by a professional, they can determine the health of your system and advise on the best course of action to take before selling your home.
HVAC Inspection & Repairs
Along with your water heater, your HVAC system will be a major component of the home selling process. Prospective buyers want to know that they won’t be purchasing a home that will require an immediate HVAC replacement – which can be costly and time consuming. These systems have an average lifespan of ten to twenty years, so if your system falls within that range then you will definitely want to have it professionally inspected and maintained. This inspection will include a review of the heat pump, the heating system, the ducts, and the main blower unit. Getting a seal of approval from an HVAC professional can help instill confidence in buyers that the system isn’t going to fail anytime soon. If you need assistance with your system, be sure to reach out to an HVAC service in Bucks County for help!
Electrical Panel Inspection & Repairs
Another focal point of your home inspection process will be your electrical panel. In many cases, older homes in Bucks County will be equipped with an outdated panel that was installed when the home was built. Oftentimes, these systems – installed in the 70s or 80s, if not earlier – are not designed to handle the needs of 21st century electronics. Many homeowners don’t realize that the panel – like many other elements of your home – requires regular maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. This is essential as the electrical panel regulates power throughout the entire home, and a fault in this system can cause outages or damage to plugged-in appliances and devices.
To be certain that your system will be ready for new homebuyers, you’ll want to get your electrical panel inspected in Bucks County by licensed and insured electricians. They can recommend the steps that will need to be taken in order to get your system up to date, including necessary repairs and replacements. This will allow you to enhance the safety of your home by removing outdated components and updating faulty wiring that has deteriorated over time. You can even turn your electrical system into a selling point by installing a whole-home surge protector directly into your panel, which safeguards your electronic devices from sudden power surges – which is something a lot of homeowners will be interested in.
Contact McClain Bros. for Comprehensive Home Services
When the time comes to put your home on the market, you need to partner with home service professionals you can trust to get your home ready for sale. For 30 years, McClain Bros. has been helping homeowners and businesses throughout Bucks County and beyond with all manner of home maintenance, repairs, and emergency services. If you need assistance with any home care needs, be sure to contact us today to learn how we can help.
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