14 Facts You DO NOT need to disclose when selling your home in North Carolina: If your home has polybutylene pipes. However, copper pipes are exceptionally durable and, thus, will last a long time if you use these to replace fragile polybutylene pipes. Polybutylene is a type of plastic potable water plumbing commonly found in many US homes built from the late 1970's through to the mid-1990's. However, with time, these pipes faults became more evident, and different types of pipes were developed and produced that were much stronger and durable than polybutylene pipes. And how do you make sure that youre dealing with the right investor and the best offer? The uncertainty surrounding your homes plumbing will easily push it off of their list. Our home inspection report just came back and it says the 1990 house has polybutylene pipes. landlord It was particularly widely used in the sunbelt states. However, polybutylene pipes have since proven too fragile to withstand chemicals found in the public water supply. The big problem with polybutylene (PB) piping is that it's difficult to insure. The second option will take more time and money but it may result in a higher price for your home. I think you are correct to worry about it, and if she has those pipes in her house she's in denial that it won't impact her ability to sell at some point or cause her expensive repairs. Because polybutylene pipes will fail, it's just a matter of when it will happen. Once youve confirmed that you have polybutylene pipes that need replacing, you need to select the right contractor for the job. Can you connect CPVC pipe directly to a gas water heater? What is Polybutylene Pipe? To learn more about dealing with mold or water damage, you can read our other articles Selling a House with Mold Problems and Selling a Flooded or Water Damaged House. The options on the "what kind of material are the pipes made of" included "plastic" and "polybutylene" and said check all that apply. With over 60,000 repipes completed, we've perfected ourOne Stop Repipe process: providing you with a high quality and convenient repipe experience while offering significant savings compared to traditional plumbers - plus, our work is guaranteed for life. Just my opinion. However, you cant repair polybutylene pipes because these pipes production ceased quite a long time ago. The seller: Nearly every U.S. state has laws requiring sellers to advise buyers of certain defects in the property, typically by filling out a standard disclosure form before the sale is completed. What you are complaining about is the process working. Has your homeowners' insurance company declined to renew your policy, because of those gray pipes you've been living with just fine for years? We are a national platform connecting homeowners looking to sell their house fast and for cash with real estate investors willing to help them. Must have picked a poor agent and a poor home inspector, or gone carelessly without either. During my over 20-year real estate investing career, Ive dealt many times with properties having this problem. As we mentioned earlier, banning polybutylene pipes causes them to become barriers to selling or buying a home. Does a repipe include drain pipes? first time homebuyer, Press J to jump to the feed. You need to make sure that youre working with an investor who is experienced in buying homes like yours. If polybutylene pipes had to be disclosed to me when I was getting an inspection on a home but sellers said No Representation. Privacy Policy. Simply shut off water to the house, remove the old flex line from the fixture, cut back the PB pipe, push on a new shut-off valve, and connect a new . Polybutylene pipes were first produced in the mid-1970s. In your case asking for $50k discount plus $20k probably wouldn't work. Are Polybutylene Water Supply Pipes Bad? If the Seller wants to ignore the poly issue, ask them to sign a Release Agreement, indemnifying you of all potential liability. Look for reviews online on sites like Facebook, Google, and Yelp. Is a hot water faucet handle required to be on the left? Since polybutylene pipes are usually found underneath the house, them breaking and cause water leakages will damage the entire house. If all the plumbing drains have water in them and you can still smell sewer gas, what's causing the problem? What about polybutylene ("poly") pipes - are sellers/agents required to disclose? Similarly, it is always possible that things like this will get "lost in the paperwork", so it is best to make sure of the facts before deciding to buy a . Please include a message before submitting. Repipe Specialists - USA. What are the code requirements for plumbing vent terminations? Why is it a problem? Facts vs. Fiction 6. They will keep the property and rent it to tenants. Locating and working on existing pipes requires cutting holes in your walls. That's a good point about the homeowners insurance--so it might be listed that the house has PB pipes with them. You sell your home without having to spend the time and money needed to fix it. Depending on your market and the condition of your property, they may not offer you full market value for your home. Why is there a flexible accordion pipe under the sink? Polybutylene (PB) piping was standard in homes built between 1978 and 1996. This is true for a private source like a well, or a municipal water line. I don't know how anyone can buy a house unaware of PB piping. Many of them specifically require you to disclose whether or not you are aware of polybutylene piping on your property. Now that weve looked at the options for selling your house with polybutylene pipes, you can apply them to your circumstances. Polybutylene pipes fall under the category of a material defect, and almost all states make you disclose any information related to a property defect. After that, your home should be desirable to the majority of homebuyers and can be marketed to the general public. This can be a problem in the long run, as in the case of floods, your insurance will not cover the damage costs, and the burden will have to be on you. Our Realtor says she has the polybutylene pipes in her house and has never had a problem so we shouldn't worry about it. Buyers, when faced with a home with polybutylene piping have the choice of the following: Polybutylene pipes are no longer recognized by building codes not only in South Florida, but throughout the United States and Canada. In the meantime, leaks and water damage can result in mold growth and unhealthy conditions in your home. Sellers must also disclose polybutylene pipes to buyers when they sell their home. loans Thus, this can be pretty helpful for you in ultimately deciding on whether or not to buy the house. Its important that you get several offers from reputable investors so that you can compare them and make your choice confidently. In that case, you might start freaking out about what to do next because, as we have already discussed above, there are some significant downsides to polybutylene pipes. Our passion for perfection continues to serve our customers year after year. If you are looking to purchase a home, look out for the signs of polybutylene piping as inspectors and realtors may not be required to disclose. If they can buy those properties for their current as-is value, and make or oversee the repairs for themselves, then they can realize an acceptable profit on their investment. Polybutylene pipe is a gray plastic tubing that was commonly used as a water-supply plumbing pipe between 1978 and 1995, at which time it was discontinued due to reports of pipes rupturing. Therefore, it is essential to keep this in mind before buying a house with polybutylene pipes. So, if you're absolutely in love with a home with polybutylene piping, have your real estate agent ask the seller to either . Also, if your home is listed in MLS, the local Multiple Listing Service may require square footage disclosure and . However, the seller must be truthful if asked, unless state law allows them to say that they don't wish to answer. Here at Repipe Specialists, ourrepiping services utilize only made-in-the-USA high quality copper (Grade L) or Uponor PEX tubing. Manufacturers stopped producing PB-pipe . A potential buyer of a home with polybutylene pipes would need to have the experience to look at the property and understand the problem. The inspection money has now saved you from buying a house you don't want. "Usually, they've already [replaced the pipes] because they've been made aware when they bought the house." Your agent is not liable at this point since home inspection did what it was supposed to do: discover defects and needed repairs. Others follow long term investing strategies. 4. Any other advice about this issue and how to handle it? Messages sent using the form on this site, go directly to our email, which we check regularly. Honestly, I don't think that the sellers were being dishonest or intentionally with holding the fact that the pipes are polybutylene. Polybutylene piping is usually gray, and you'll only find it in your fresh water potable plumbing system. Pests. Joined: Jun 2012. What is a "combination waste and vent" in a plumbing system? Polybutylene water supply pipes broke in the ground outside homes causing soil erosion and foundation damage (if this has already happened to your property, here is an article about selling a house with foundation problems). E & L Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved. The primary manufacturers of the pipe were Shell Chemical Company, Qest (pronounced "quest"), and Vanguard. Cross-Linked Polyethylene (PEX) is basically a plastic material used to make pipes for water systems in our houses. Polybutylene pipe health risks and product failures led to a successful class-action lawsuit in 1995. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Finding out that your dream house has polybutylene pipes can be discouraging, and it might sway your decision on whether to buy the home and rightfully so, these types of pipes can be risky. << Does a home inspector look for code violations? Polybutylene pipes are often used with copper fittings which can also confuse a homebuyer. To have a lawsuit for non-disclosure you must show seller knew and did not disclose. Your second choice would be to replace any polybutylene pipes in your property and sell it the traditional way. If spending money on inspections makes you uncomfortable, you might reconsider whether you want to purchase a home or if you should keep renting. Learn about them in the next section of this article. Polybutylene (PB) piping was standard in homes built between 1978 and 1996. If you have the funds to make repairs but need to sell quickly, you will also want to look at an investor sale. Even though most potential buyers would hesitate to go for a house with polybutylene pipes, there are always specific buyers interested in it these type of properties, as we have discussed earlier. Regarding the first option, the question arises: who would be interested in buying a house with polybutylene pipes? The realtor actually removed all the copper piping to scrap for meth money, and replaced it all with polybutylene piping. B. Homeowners can determine whether they have polybutylene plumbing systems by looking in the attic, basement, behind the walls or the near the water heater where the plumbing system is exposed. Contact us by phone or email with any questions, or to schedule a no-obligation in-home (or remote) consultation with one of our Estimators. May be used as supply lines to plumbing fixtures or . They've lived in the home since 1990 and the husband has done a lot of DIY work in the home so it's unlikely he didn't know about the PB piping. What does polybutylene pipe look like? Evidence of that can prove that your seller is liable includes: Timeline testimony from your contractor When used outside to bring water to your home, polybutylene pipes are either blue, black, or a grayish color. Since every individuals situation is unique, a qualified professional should be consulted before making financial decisions. Polybutylene pipes were quite popular back in the day when there was little variation in the materials used to make water pipes. Interview several and check their references. If In a hurry? loan We've done the research and found that not only would damages be costly if the pipes burst, but we would also have a hard time selling the house in the future or even obtaining homeowners insurance even if the pipes don't cause any problems because there is such a stigma against these particular pipes. When polybutylene leaks occur in US plumbing systems, the leaks are often at or near connectors. I'm willing to keep going if they will cover the cost of repairs to replace them since the pipes are a ticking time bomb and most insurance won't cover you if you knew they were poly pipes. Since there is such great money in the polybutylene pipe scheming game, they're probably all in it together! Anyone who buys a home with Polybutylene or Kitek or such is simple unhinged or has an unhinged . These pipes were last used in new construction in the mid 90s and are now around 20 years old. The property will have to be fixed before closing if a mortgage is involved. Members of the general public who are working with a broker will be looking at multiple properties. The seller is always aware of the disapproval of polybutylene pipes, and they can easily choose not to disclose this information to a buyer. https://www.polybutylene.com/realtor.html. Since this is probably unfamiliar territory for you, you will need to be prepared to spend a lot of time searching on the Internet. How do you accurately find a broken water pipe leak under the floor slab? The polybutylene pipes should have come to light during the home inspection or as part of seller . What is the difference between PVC and ABS plumbing pipe? One of the most important things that need to be considered is the plumbing within the house. Compared to copper, it was inexpensive, easy to install, and had several other advantages like being resistant to damage from freezing. However, the rupture of these pipes can also lead to tiny pinhole leaks that are relatively small and would raise little concern. Since our founding in 1991, we've been completing residential and multi-family building repipes to the highest standard. Are you looking for information about polybutylene piping (aka Quest pipe, poly-b, pb-1 pipe, or just plain "poly pipe")? I've got it! Also in 1989, a totally different design emerged which used flexible pipiing. I started HomeInspectionInsider.com to help people better understand the home inspection process and answer questions about homeownership and home maintenance. 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