House with 36" water main running under the garden

danlightbulb

Hi all,

Still searching for a house I like. Been a while, not much fitting my criteria comes up. A house came up last week that I really do like in terms of layout, however it has a major downside.

The house has a 36" high pressure water main running through the back garden at its closest around 5m from the corner of the house. Along with the main, there is also an easement in place giving the water company access to approx a 5m wide x 10-15m long (triangular shaped) strip of the garden should they need it. Clearly this would prohibit any permanent building (extension, conservatory) over the area in question.

The house sold 3 years ago for £138k which felt cheap, however with this in mind that does now make sense. However they want £180k for it now, and although they've done some improvement works on it, even taking that into account it is still well in excess of the average housing inflation rate for the area. Allowing £15k for improvement works on the original price, the Nationwide calculator estimates around £165k now. However there is a major bubble occurring where I live at the moment and houses are asking and appear to be selling for alot more than the average inflation rates would suggest. I'm told that this house has already had asking price offered, however I'd guess most people wouldn't have any clue about this pipe until the solicitors tell them (the agent doing the viewing did not mention it). I know in advance because I work for the said water company so I was able to find out where this pipe went, once I suspected it went through the garden after the viewing.

Its unlikely of course, but IF that section of pipe bursts, there is a high chance it would destroy the house along with it. This recently happened very close by where a house was almost totally destroyed after a large pipe burst (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLj-NX5ciL8). That particular pipe was relatively low pressure as well. Where would mortgage companies stand on this issue? What about insurance companies? Obviously it also imposes restrictions on any future extension work, not that I would have been able to afford this in the medium term anyway.

Its yet another example of an on paper ideal house coming up but then being faced yet again with what are major issues. It is disheartening that every house with some element of character to it always seems to have some kind of issue if its in my price range.

Here it is: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72264681.html

I probably can't proceed as I don't think its worth asking and even if I could get it cheaper, the limitations and consequences imposed by the pipeline are pretty substantial. I guess I'm just venting my frustrations a little but just wondered what the prevailing opinion was. Has anyone bought a house with easement rights and would you expect it to affect the mortgageability of it?

davidmcn

I doubt mortgage lenders or insurers would be too bothered. Yes, a burst would be disastrous, but that's chance-in-a-million stuff (and I'd expect the terms of the easement would indemnify you against any such damage anyway). The restrictions on development will be more relevant.

Grumpy_chap

Does that house actually exist?  All the photos in the listing look like artistic rendering, not proper photos.

FreeBear

Grumpy_chap said:  All the photos in the listing look like artistic rendering, not proper photos.

Streetview says yes.

The images look as if they have been over sharpened and messed with in Photoshop.

Bonniepurple

Well, the street name seems to be appropriate!  If the pipe did rupture, who would be responsible?  The water company, or the owner?  

danlightbulb

Bonniepurple said:

Well, the street name seems to be appropriate!  If the pipe did rupture, who would be responsible?  The water company, or the owner?  

The water company, but it would likely destroy the house in the process. There would then be involvement of the water company's insurer whilst the owner is put up in alternative accomodation.

I wonder if it would even be allowed (or sensible) to plant trees in the vicinity of it? Highly limiting I fear.

I viewed it this morning, the photos are a fair representation. Its quite a nice house.

Also the cul de sac its on is unadopted.

davidmcn

danlightbulb said:

Bonniepurple said:

Well, the street name seems to be appropriate!  If the pipe did rupture, who would be responsible?  The water company, or the owner? 

I wonder if it would even be allowed (or sensible) to plant trees in the vicinity of it? Highly limiting I fear.

I wouldn't expect so (from my experience of electric and gas) - no structures or trees within the defined zone. Small shrubbery at most.

GaleSF63

I think I'd be more worried about the canal just behind the garden. It looks as if it's higher than the house.
And as well as flooding caused by rainfall, canals can rupture as well it seems. Though probably just as unlikely. 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-53768273

Vasquez65

Looks like a nice enough house but the garden needs major work,   how deep is the water main?    

We have a main sewer come down our drive and branch off under the garden,  there was a blockage and Severn Trent had to dig up a 2m x 2m square of our concrete drive plus they had to use heavy duty equipment to get a rusted in place metal drain cover up to the side of the drive, so the 20 year old shrub we had covering it had to go.   

GDB2222

Just to put the risk in perspective, friends of ours were flooded out by a burst water main. This was in North London, and quite a few houses were severely damaged. They ended up replacing everything on the ground floor. New floors. Replastering. It took about six to nine months IIRC. All paid for by the water company, but they’d obviously rather it hadn’t happened.

We have a really large trunk main running at the bottom of our garden. I don’t think about it very often, fortunately, or I’d have sleepless nights.

Thames Water say they had 8 separate trunk main bursts in just one year.

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/regulation/trunk-mains-review

http://middlesexcountycouncil.org.uk/2-uncategorised/34-following-the-metropolitan-waterboard

AdrianC

The house has clearly been there for decades without having been destroyed by a tsunami...

Apt address, though.

https://goo.gl/maps/i3uDqZ5jxwCy6eMv6
This is from the opposite towpath looking to the back of the house. Even if the water main is going to rupture somewhere, why would it be underground in the garden, not in the exposed section where it crosses the canal? 

Paranoia, I think.