We discussed in a previous post the importance of camera inspections and how they play an integral role in purchasing or selling a home. Buying or selling a home can be a very stressful time and we want to assure you that we are here to help and give you the information to make an informed next step decision.
Making Inspections Easier…
You may have heard the old saying, “the first step is the hardest.” We would like to assure you that is not always the case for setting up an appointment. Almost every aspect of the camera inspection process except for the inspection itself can be done over the phone. We set up a work order with your given information. We then call your realtor to make sure the appointment time is convenient and works with both the buyer and the realtor’s schedule. We can also take payment for the inspection over the phone so you have one less thing to think about when discussing your sewer system with one of our experts. Some boroughs require customers to have a camera inspection done before selling. Customers who are selling a house are directed on where they can acquire the necessary paperwork for the inspection from their local municipality. Typically this can be downloaded from the borough’s website.
We take pride in educating our customers. When we come out for a camera inspection, we play an unbiased role in determining the health and lifespan of the sewer system in its current condition. We like to say, “the plumbing speaks for itself.” This means that we are going to make recommendations solely based on what we can see with the camera.
A Few Examples…
There are instances where we can do estimates remotely. Let’s give a quick example. Say you’re selling a house to Sallie and Sallie had a plumbing outfit do a camera inspection. The camera inspection determined there is a damaged sewer line. It will need a repair or Sallie is not going to purchase the home. They gave an estimate for the cost of the repair but you would like a second opinion because Sallie is asking you (the seller) to cover the cost. As long as we can acquire the inspection video from the buyer, we can provide competitive options and recommendations over the phone so you can sell your home. We will walk you through the repair process and explain all the available options to correct the problem.
We are able to assist in developing a blended scope that involves both the buyer and seller so they can split the responsibility of the investigation or potential repair work and help save real estate transactions. Another example: Sallie wants to buy your house and has the experts at Mister Sewer come out to do a camera inspection. We have trouble getting our camera through the house trap located in the basement due to corrosion or a break. We determined that the trap must be replaced so we can complete the camera inspection. Let’s also say that you, the seller, agree to pay to replace the trap so Sallie will buy your house. As we were replacing the trap we ran a camera to inspect the pipe and notice small defects such as cracking in the terra cotta pipe that could lead to a potential problem down the line (no pun intended). We can provide this information to both parties. Sallie doesn’t want to move into a home with small cracks in her sewer system so she opts for a liner to be installed while we are working on the house trap. Everyone wins in this situation. The house has passed inspection and the pipe has been renovated for the future homeowner. We will then label and bill work accordingly to each party. This example might sound complicated but these situations occur often with real estate transactions to varying degrees.
For More About Camera Inspections
Here at Mister we are dedicated to making sure our customers make informed decisions about their plumbing work. We want to help make buying and selling a house less stressful while also providing expert service. If you would like to learn more about camera inspections, click here to read more. The article explains the process of inspections and what we look for when we scope your sewer line. There is also a video of a local camera inspection posted on our Resources page.