Drains - Survey recommended?

timja7

Has anyone had a drain survey when buying a property? We have had an offer accepted on a victorian semi which has no trees near by, but is it likely for other problems to cause issues with the parts of the drains we would be responsible for? I have heard some horror stories about drain problems costing a fortune to fix, but how much do the surveys actually show you and what comeback do you have if a problem is found after buying the house?

Just wondering if its worth checking for peace of mind or if in reality its pretty rare to be an issue when no tree roots around to break pipes?

Thanks in advance!

Davesnave

On the one hand, a drain survey may be 'recommended' because the surveyor will not do one, just like they won't do an electrical or gas check. So, that's simply rear-end covering.

On the other hand, Victorian drains may be in a poor state, not just because of tree root damage, but because of other factors, like ground movement, underground springs, or the building of other structures over the drains in unregulated times past.

The good news is that any drain shared with neighbours isn't now a property owner's responsibility; only the part that's exclusive to the property.

Other factors also play a part regarding the cost of repairs; the most obvious one being their depth.

As with gas and electrical checks, it's for individuals to decide whether drain surveys with a camera are done. If a drain was reported as sound and it collapsed, there would be a come-back in exactly the same way as in any other survey. Not a problem if the survey company is reputable and insured.

teneighty

I agree with Davesnave above but if you do need a CCTV drain survey it be can be very useful and should cost around £200.

However, be careful, they are prone to trying to add extras like pressure washing, descaling etc. which quickly puts it up around £500. They are obviously also keen for you to employ them to repair all the faults they find.

If you do need one just insist on the basic survey, read the report and watch the DVD and then decide your next step. If need be get 3 quotes for any repairs.

I forgot to add, if the survey crew come back with a high quote for lots of new drains that will of course be a useful tool in re-negotiating the price of the property. But get 3 quotes for your own benefit.

G_M

Personally I'd probobly only bother if there was some indication of a problem.

Either talk to the surveyor and see what checks on drains he did carry out, if any (or read the report) or go and inspect yourself:

* lift manhole covers and look for signs of blockage eg debris in the drain or even standing water/sewage which could indicate a blockage further along.
* get someone to flush the loo while you look into the manhole - does the water flow through freely?
* follow the line of the drain and look for signs of leaking: soggy ground etc (harder at this time of year)

Buyers tend to be very reluctant to do this kind of thing on viewings which I find strange. If you were buying a 2nd hand car, noone would think twice about checking the electric windows work, or taking it for a test drive!

marksoton

^^ As above.

The basic survey should show line and length of all laterals,main sewer and all associated connections.

Knowing if your drainage is storm,foul or combined can be useful. A cheap pot of drain dye will soon tell you.

I wouldn't bother with a full CCTV. If it is Victorian construction they were damn good at drainage. In fact better than modern from what i've witnessed.

ukmaggie45

We had a CCTV drain survey done on a property we were thinking of buying. We were cash buyers, so I was being ultra careful. We never got the survey back! Husband called the chap who did it, he'd given the CD to the woman in the house! Also he told us the drains were full of roots, and she had said to him "Do we need to tell them?" Fortunately he hadn't billed us, so we just never paid him. I hope she did! House sold to someone else after being remarketed - for the price we'd offered before we knew about the drain problems. I suspect the purchaser may well have decided not to bother with the drain survey.

Oh, this was a 1950/60 house, so "relatively" modern.

Vendor was a nightmare, we were glad to be out of it. Even our conveyancing solicitor said she was the most obstructive vendor she'd come across.

So if you can't get to look at the drains yourself, or test them in the way others have suggested, I would be inclined to go for it. I know £200 is cash that you might prefer to spend on the house, but if the drains are caboodled it will likely cost you a lot more.

Mayflower10cat

I'd trust Victorian drains more than pitch fibre as used often in the 50's/60's! Our last house had pitch fibre - we'd never heard of it. The drains collapsed totally within the first three years we lived there. Fortunately, our buildings insurance covered the new drains - it cost nearly £7,000.

marksoton

Mayflower10cat wrote: »

I'd trust Victorian drains more than pitch fibre as used often in the 50's/60's! Our last house had pitch fibre - we'd never heard of it. The drains collapsed totally within the first three years we lived there. Fortunately, our buildings insurance covered the new drains - it cost nearly £7,000.

Horrible stuff and an absolute b@tch to repair. Right up there with asbestos sewer pipes.

Kynthia

My surveyor recomended a cctv drain survey and as it was the only action he 'strongly recommended' I had one done. I just Google a few local firms, paid a couple of hundred and got a full written report with pictures confirming everything was fine.

timja7

Thanks for the replies, the surveyor lifted the man hole cover at the side of the house and my wife flushed the toilet while he looked down and he said everything looked good and drained well as far as he could see. We will have a think about whether to get a camera survey done once we know where we are on some other points that came up in the survey, the main one being a few potential issues the roof! Seems that it hasn't been replaced for a long time and some batons are in a poor state, no kind of membrane over roof, it's just tiled and can see a couple of small holes as well as no decent insulation. Has anyone had a roof retiled with insulation and have an idea of cost on a 4 bed house?! Surveyor thought it could be done for under £5k potentially...

Sounds like it could be good getting a survey done for peace of mind but not essential - maybe I need to see if it is covered by insurance too.