Survey - minor issue but unforseen - who pays?

AAS

We just had a valuation report on a house we are buying, still waiting for the homebuyers report. The mortgage company surveyor has identified a blocked drain and requested a drain survey before they proceed. Should we just pay for this ourselves or ask the vendors to unblock the drain and then pay for the survey?

Any ideas how much this may cost?

We will pay for it if we have to but trying o save extra £££ for bits that need doing on the house... Is it cheeky?

eddddy

AAS wrote: »

We just had a valuation report on a house we are buying, still waiting for the homebuyers report. The mortgage company surveyor has identified a blocked drain and requested a drain survey before they proceed. Should we just pay for this ourselves or ask the vendors to unblock the drain and then pay for the survey?

Any ideas how much this may cost?

We will pay for it if we have to but trying o save extra £££ for bits that need doing on the house... Is it cheeky?

Hi AAS

These types of negotiations are a psychological game. You are probably in a better position to judge the seller's reaction to your request than anyone on the forum. (I guess the reaction could range anywhere from an immediate agreement to pay, to complete outrage that you suggest such a thing.)

Having said this, I think the normal etiquette would be that the seller pays for fixing a problem (unblocking the drain), and the buyer pays for any surveys they require. If the survey shows up problems, then further negotiations would follow.

(Drainage companies I've come across charge between about £50 and £150 for cctv drain surveys. But they have a vested interest in finding problems to fix. I've not come across completely independent drain surveyors.)

Guest101

I would say that most of the time, the seller's are unlikely to put more money into the house. You could still just walk away from it after all.

A compromise could be that you lower your offer by £150 to over the cleaning and the survey. Then pay for these yourself.

Ofcourse they can too still walk away, with nice clean drains, but since it's on the market, they are most likely intending on selling, not just trying it on.

G_M

Well if I was the seller and you came to me with this I'd borrow a set of rods, lift the drain cover, and clear the blockage! After all, it'smy home and I don't want to live with a blocked drain!

Then I'd tell you to feel free to get a survey done if that's what you want.

sandsni

G_M wrote: »

Well if I was the seller and you came to me with this I'd borrow a set of rods, lift the drain cover, and clear the blockage! After all, it'smy home and I don't want to live with a blocked drain!

Then I'd tell you to feel free to get a survey done if that's what you want.

I was thinking pretty much the same thing. Having just cleared a drain on my own property, it's normally not that big a job :cool:.

JennyW_2

sandsni wrote: »

I was thinking pretty much the same thing. Having just cleared a drain on my own property, it's normally not that big a job :cool:.

Same here too....if we were told there was a blocked drain we'd be clearing it ourselves as its in our best interests

00ec25

given that it appears it was the valuation survey that identified this it must be a heck of a blockage to feature in that report. If its that serious that a surveyor spots it I'm amazed the vendors have not noticed it themselves?

Newly_retired

A couple of years ago we found an external drain blocked by rubble from a neighbour's extension which had got into the sewer system and ended up in the drain under our garden. Total costs ran into over £3k. Fortunately we were covered by insurance.

G_M

00ec25 wrote: »

given that it appears it was the valuation survey that identified this it must be a heck of a blockage to feature in that report. If its that serious that a surveyor spots it I'm amazed the vendors have not noticed it themselves?

Or it could have been a build up of leaves round a drain where a down-pipe is, with a bit of water build-up off the roof puddling round it......

Surveyor sees 'blockage', so includes it in report.

2 minutes clearing the leaves.....

AAS

Thanks for the replies, an update just in case anyone is interested...
The house is empty, was rented out and vendors live about 100 miles away. We paid for the CCtv drain survey and to clear the blockage thinking it would be straight forward, as you say a simple task which we had to pay over the odds for, for the mortgage company

However, just got the report back and it has rated something as in need of urgent repair.... So now we have spent £250 already on top of the survey etc... And are now concerned about the mortgage company retaining funds. Looks like we may need to negotiate with vendors!

G_M

AAS wrote: »

....We paid for the CCtv drain survey .......and it has rated something as in need of urgent repair....

because....?

Since you've paid, I assume it is more specific than that..

* the drain has collapsed? Where? Along whole length or in one place? How far along? How extensive? How accessible?

* a root growing into the drain? As above, where? Accessible etc?

* the draini s blocked but sound? Blocked with what? Where? etc

* what is the drain made of?

* Cost?

* 2nd opinion?