Louisiana Property Disclosures Part 4 - Plumbing, Water, Gas and Sewerage

Before continuing our review of the required Louisiana property disclosures, here is a quick recap in case you missed any of previous articles:

Louisiana Property Disclosures Part 1 - Yes, You Have to Disclose That!

Louisiana Property Disclosures Part 2 - Bugs, Bugs and More About Bugs

Louisiana Property Disclosures Part 3 - Structure

Part 4 of the property disclosure deals with plumbing, water, gas and sewerage.  Here is a snapshot of the form:

Y = Yes     N=No    NK=No Knowledge

Are there any defects with the plumbing system?  If you know that there are any cracked or broken water or sewerage lines, it is imperative that you disclose this upfront since it can have a major impact on whether or not a buyer is willing to purchase your home and the price they are willing to pay for it.  Providing estimates for repairs as an attachment to the disclosure is always a good idea, since buyers will usually over estimate their costs.  If there are any defects, consider correcting them before putting your home on the market.

Are there any defects with the water piping?  Again, disclose, disclose, disclose.  These questions are designed to keep you from being involved in litigation about defects that were known to you and not disclosed to the buyers.

Are there any defects with the water quality, quantity or pressure?  Typically, we don’t see “Yes” answers to this question in the New Orleans metro area, but since some parts of the city continue to have issues with water pressure, be sure that you answer this question carefully.

Water is supplied by:  Choose the appropriate option for your property

If there is a well, when was the last time it was tested and what were the results?  Provide the date of testing and the results.  Attaching a copy of the test results to the disclosure is always a good idea and can prevent misunderstandings on the part of the potential buyers.

Is there gas service available to the property?  Even if you have all electric appliances, there may still be gas service run to the property.

Are there any defects with any water heater?  Water heaters are an item that almost always come up in inspection reports, with issues from improper ventilation to no overflow valves.  If your water heater is old, it may be worth replacing prior to the sale of your home.

The sewerage is supplied by:  Choose the appropriate option for your property

Stay tuned for our next segment - Electrical, Heating and Cooling, Appliances

If you need help with understanding property disclosures in Louisiana, please feel free to contact Lisa Heindel, REALTOR®.  Protecting your interests during the sale of your West Bank home is important to me!

Copyright 2008.  Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.