Need to investigate anything unusual

Press, 17 April 1980, Page 13

Need to investigate anything unusual

LOOKING AT REAL ESTATE ; ; By the Real Estate institute

Whatever your interest in the property which you are occupying, it is in your own interests to investigate anything about it which looks, smells or sounds unusual. ? Even though you think your suspicions may be unfounded it is wise to seek an explanation for whatever it is that attracts your attention. Failure to make immediate investigation could be very costly later. One such case which came to the attention of the institute concerned a man who noted a per* sistent dampness in the corner of his bathroom. At first he suspected his cat of a misdemeanour but after a while he decided all was not right and he

called in a plumber. The plumber found that the cause of the dampness -was condensation from a lavatory cistem of the type where it was necessary to pull the chain. The condensation caused drops of water to fall to the floor but although this was not serious it was found that the first signs of wood rot were beginning to show in the flooring. It was, because of early discovery,' simple to fix. In another case a tenant heard during the night the sound of water passing through pipes. His own taps were all turned off but further investigation showed that the outside tap of the adjoining flat was running

and the water was draining back under the house. It could easily have developed into a flood and a lot of trouble for the landlord and the tenants. The adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure should be part and parcel of the attitude of all homeowners.