Chat with my plumber about old cast iron pipes made me think twice about selling

He said most buyers won't touch a house with original 1950s plumbing even if it's still working, and now I'm wondering if I should replace the lateral line before listing my place in Parma next spring.

3 comments

3 Comments

josephmartin7d agoMost Upvoted

Is your plumber a real estate agent now? lol. I get the warning but I'd push back hard on that. Plenty of buyers in your area are looking at fixer-uppers and the ones who can't stomach a pipe replacement will just move on to the next house. You might actually leave money on the table by doing the work upfront if the buyer was planning to redo the basement anyway or just wanted a discounted price. A lot of folks in Parma are probably already budgeting for that stuff given the age of the homes around there.

taylorellis7d ago

Is it just me or does it feel like everyone's got a side hustle these days? My plumber tried to upsell me on a home warranty once, I told him I'd rather just keep shoving towels under the leak and calling it "character." But yeah, you're probably right about Parma buyers - most of em are already mentally adding a "demo the basement" line item to their budget before they even tour the place.

the_diana7d ago

Doesn't it feel like everyone's got an opinion on what buyers want these days? I actually think josephmartin has a point though - if you replace that pipe now, you're basically flipping the table for someone who might've been excited to negotiate a lower price and do it themselves. Parma buyers who know the area are probably already factoring in a whole list of old house surprises, not just the plumbing. And honestly, if you do the work and the next owner still wants to rip up the basement for a dream layout, you just handed them a clean slate they didn't ask for. Might be smarter to let that buyer earn their fixer-upper badge.