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Home Buying · October 6, 2025 · 7 min read

Buying an older Orlando home? A plumbing inspection checklist

Character comes with old pipes. Before you fall for that historic bungalow, run through this.

The historic homes in places like Winter Park, Sanford, and Mount Dora have charm you can't build new. They also tend to have plumbing that's seen a lot of decades. A little homework before closing saves big surprises after.

Know your pipe material

Ask what the supply and drain lines are. Galvanized steel supply lines corrode shut from the inside and drop your pressure. Cast-iron drains scale and crack with age. Polybutylene supply (gray plastic, common in late-70s to mid-90s builds) is failure-prone and worth flagging. None of these are automatic deal-breakers, but they shape what you'll spend.

Check the water heater's age

Find the serial number and date it. On our hard water a neglected water heater may be near the end well before a buyer expects, so factor a possible replacement into your offer.

Look for past slab or sewer trouble

Patched flooring, fresh concrete in odd spots, or a suspiciously clean section of yard can hint at past slab or sewer work. Ask the seller directly, and watch for slow drains during the walkthrough.

Get a camera inspection

This is the one most buyers skip and later wish they hadn't. A sewer camera run before closing shows roots, cracks, and bellies in the main line — the difference between a minor cleaning and a five-figure dig. Want one before you close? Call us and we'll scope it.

Call (407) 555-0123

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