The $5 flaw that flooded a $1.3m home: Tradie’s urgent warning

Homebuyers are skipping an extra check that could save them thousands, says Matt Taylor of Next Wave Plumbing Solutions

The new owners of a Gold Coast home looked on in horror as water flooded the double-storey property just hours before they were due to settle on their $1.3m purchase.

The “shocker exchange” as the owners stood gobsmacked on the kerb prompted a tradie to issue an urgent warning to homebuyers about serious property flaws often missed by standard building and pest reports.

Next Wave Plumbing Solutions director Matt Taylor, who fixed the Upper Coomera leak, said the culprit was a corroded small flexible hose under the upstairs vanity – a $5.20 item from Bunnings.

A leak caused flooding to a Gold Coast house hours before it was due to settle

Mr Taylor said new carpets, laminate floor tiles, downstairs ceilings and walls, and electricals were damaged as water seeped through both levels, creating the potential for mould to set in.

While the vendor’s insurance covers most damage, their profit will take a hit. Had the hose burst hours later, the new owner would have faced the repair bill.

But the horror story was not isolated, with Mr Taylor attending another emergency call-out for a local home that had just changed hands for $1.1m.

This time, the silent menace was monster tree roots blocking drains beneath the home.

“A buyer took possession midweek, tenants moved in yesterday, flushed the toilet, and a blockage bubbled up through the shower. Thankfully, they called before messy damage,” Mr Taylor said.

Tree roots were blocking pipes underground

Muck bubbled up through the drain when the toilet was flushed

Tree roots the diameter of a 50-cent piece had breached three metres of pipes, causing significant blockage and an estimated $5,000 repair cost.

“It is unlikely the old owner wouldn’t have known or experienced blockages before. The roots caused the whole house to be blocked up, which doesn’t happen overnight,” Mr Taylor said.

“Ultimately, the new owner might have knocked the price to repair off the purchase price or would have walked away from the house if they’d had a plumbing inspection.

“Two doozies in one week — we feel so sorry for the families moving into their new homes.”

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Mr Taylor said most home buyers did not realise standard building and pest inspections only covered a fraction of a home’s plumbing and drainage.

A dedicated plumbing inspection, conducted alongside the building and pest report, would identify hidden issues, allowing buyers to demand repairs as a condition of sale.

“Now, instead of moving into their new home and starting the next chapter of their lives, the purchaser will need to contend with the vendor’s insurance assessors and contractors to fix the extensive and preventable damage,” he said.

A dedicated plumbing inspection carried out alongside the building and pest reports can avoid potential major damage (house pictured not associated with incidents outlined in article)

Next Wave charges $465 for a pre-purchase plumbing inspection.

Florence Labadens, of White Sand Buyers Agency, said the cost was a valuable investment as part of a prospective homeowner’s due diligence before making an offer.

“Not many buyers are doing this, but a plumber can uncover major issues beyond what a standard pest and building inspection would,” Ms Labadens said.

“For the majority of people, buying a property is one of life’s biggest financial investments and you want to make sure you are not going to find any costly surprises.

“Our job is to protect our clients and it makes absolute sense.”

Water-related damage, from burst pipes to overflowing drains, is Australia’s most common household insurance claim, according to Canstar.

Water-related damage is Australia’s number one household insurance claim (house pictured not associated with incidents outlined in article)

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