Pre-sale plumbing checklist, what to fix before listing your Gold Coast home

The two principles of pre-sale plumbing prep: (1) anything visible in a 1-hour inspection gets caught, (2) fixing cheap obvious issues is always cheaper than negotiating down on price. Below is our pre-listing checklist by category.

The hot water unit

Buyer's inspector always checks the HWU. They note brand, model, install date (from compliance plate), visible condition.

What to fix before listing

• HWU over 10 years old: consider proactive replacement. A 12-year-old unit on inspection day is a $3,000-5,000 negotiation point for the buyer. A 6-month-old unit is a selling feature.
• Visible rust on the unit casing: cosmetic but reads as "neglected". $400-800 to refurbish or replace.
• Missing compliance certificate: get a copy from QBCC or have a current install audit and certificate provided.
• HWU on exposed coastal wall: if rusting visible, relocate to sheltered wall during replacement.

Taps, mixers and visible plumbing

What to fix

• Dripping taps: $80-280 per repair. Buyer's inspector tests every tap. A drip is a negotiation point.
• Stiff or noisy mixers: cartridge replacement $200-400. Daily-use mixer issues read as deferred maintenance.
• Worn or pitted outdoor taps: $160-280 per replacement. Highly visible.
• Constantly running toilet: $160-280 per repair. Audible during inspection.
• Loose tapware on benchtops: Tighten mounting nuts. Indicates loose joinery in a buyer's mind.

Drains and waste lines

What to check

• Slow shower or basin drains: jet-rod or snake to clear. $180-460 typical. Buyer's inspector runs water in every fixture.
• Toilet that flushes slowly or refills slowly: diagnose and fix.
• Floor wastes that are dry: trap evaporated, prime with water before inspection. Cosmetic only.
• Visible water stains around floor wastes: indicates historical leak, requires actual diagnosis.

What to consider

For homes 25+ years old, a sewer camera survey ($400-600) reveals any underground drainage issues that a buyer might commission their own camera survey to find. Fixing or disclosing these proactively is often cheaper than the buyer-negotiated discount.

Walls, ceilings and visible water damage signs

What to fix

• Water stains on ceilings below upstairs bathrooms: diagnose the source (often historical), repair the leak, repaint the ceiling. Buyer's inspector always notes ceiling stains as evidence of past leaks.
• Swelling skirting: indicates moisture from somewhere. Diagnose, repair leak, replace skirting.
• Mould on bathroom walls: ventilation issue typically, may also indicate slow leak. Clean and address ventilation. Sometimes worth refreshing paint.
• Damp patches on garage or laundry walls: external water ingress or internal plumbing leak. Diagnose.

Gas appliances and compliance

What to check

• Gas cooktop, oven, BBQ point, HWU: all need current compliance documentation. Buyer may request copies during sale process.
• Visible gas line rust: external regulators and lines on coastal homes. Replace exposed corroded fittings before listing, $200-500 typical.
• BBQ bayonet on exterior wall: if non-compliant or unlicensed install, recertify or remove.
• Unlicensed gas work history: a buyer's inspector may discover. Better to disclose and remedy than to be caught.

Hot water pressure and supply pressure

Buyer's inspector typically tests pressure at one or two outlets. Low pressure (under 300 kPa) or high pressure (over 600 kPa unregulated) are both negotiation points.

• Test pressure with a $30 gauge from any hardware store. Should read 400-550 kPa.
• If too high: pressure-limiting valve has failed or is missing. $400-700 to install/replace.
• If too low: partial blockage or pump issue. Diagnose.

Bathroom and laundry sealing

What to refresh

• Cracked or mouldy silicone sealant around shower screens, bath rims, basin edges. $200-400 per bathroom for proper reseal.
• Failed grouting around floor tiles in wet areas. Sometimes a tiling job, sometimes just regrouting.
• Loose toilet at base: wax seal needs replacing. $220-380.

The acreage-specific checklist

Acreage properties have additional inspection points:

• Septic / AWTS condition: service records, pump-out history, system age. Buyer's inspector and conveyancer may request.
• Bore condition (if applicable): recent water quality test, pump condition.
• LPG bottle service: regulator age, line condition.
• Tank condition: visible damage, lid seal, overflow path.
• Pump and pressure tank: visible leaks, age, recent service.

The apartment-specific checklist

• Strata records of any plumbing-related body corp issues in the building. Conveyancer typically requests.
• Unit-internal flexi hoses: replace pair if 10+ years old.
• HWU compliance: like-for-like swap history with certificates.
• Balcony tap condition (especially salt-exposed beachside towers).

What proactive fixing typically costs

• Whole-house tap/mixer refresh (dripping, stiff units replaced): $400-1,200
• Toilet repairs: $160-280 per fixture
• Drain clearance / clean-up: $260-460 per fixture
• Bathroom sealant refresh: $200-400 per bathroom
• HWU pre-emptive replacement: $1,400-3,800
• Pressure-limiting valve replacement: $400-700
• Pre-sale plumbing audit (us): $360-580
• Sewer camera survey: $400-600
• External tap and visible fitting refresh: $300-1,000
• Total typical pre-listing investment: $2,000-6,000

Compare to the typical buyer-negotiated discount on found issues: $5,000-30,000+. The pre-listing investment usually returns 3-5x.

Disclosure strategy

You do not have to fix everything. Sometimes the right call is to disclose a known issue (e.g. older HWU) with documented quote for repair / replacement, so the buyer knows the cost. This is often better than leaving the issue and being caught.

Disclosed issues with quotes typically negotiate down 50-70% of the actual cost. Undisclosed issues found by inspection negotiate down 100-150% of actual cost (buyer pads their estimate).

How to engage us pre-sale

Two services we offer:

• Pre-listing audit ($360-580) covering everything above with a written report and prioritised fix list
• Fix-everything package tailored to your home, fixed-price quote for all the cheap-but-visible items in one visit

Book 4-8 weeks before listing for best results. Phone 0472 657 042.