Matt van Winkle

This is a beautiful house. And that thing on the side of it is a sewer clean-out.

In the past year I’ve had three homes in Steiner Ranch come back with sewer issues during the inspection period. Repairs ranged from seven thousand dollars to close to thirty.

A sewer scope puts a camera down the line before you close. Takes about 20 minutes, costs a few hundred dollars. If there’s a problem, you find out while you still have options — not after you’ve signed everything.

It’s not the fun part of buying a house. Neither is a thirty thousand dollar surprise.