Natalie and Dan recently purchased a property.  The builder who inspected the property had pointed out to them that the pipes in the house were made of a certain material which was known to have issues with bursting.  They had got the property at a cheap price, so decided to buy the property as is and fix the pipes at a later date. 

Months later, they returned from work one evening to find that one of the pipes had burst and had flooded their lounge!  They hurriedly called their insurer who told them that they weren’t covered for water damage because they had that particular type of plumbing in their house.

Before buying a property and to make sure you don’t get caught out like Natalie and Dan, make sure you:

1. Ask the Vendor or real estate agent what type of plumbing the property has;
2. Making your purchase subject to obtaining a building inspection report and if in doubt, ask the builder (or a plumber) what implications that type of plumbing may have for you as an owner.
3. Talk to your insurance company about whether the particular type of plumbing in the property may cause any insurance issues.