Drainage survey recommended - do we need one?

littlecactus

Hello, I hope you'll forgive my relative ignorance of the house buying and surveying process as we're FTB.
We had a homebuyers report survey done on the house we are buying (a relatively standard 1950s build), and it has recommended that we get a drainage survey.
The recommendation seems to stem from a couple of issues flagged in the survey:

• The surveyor was unable to find the inspection chamber or any rainwater gulleys
• At the front of the house the rainwater downpipe isn't connected to anything at the bottom (e.g. the mains drainage), it just lets the water out onto the ground
• At the rear of the house there is a waste water gulley that appears to be insufficient (as there are signs of overflow)

Since the house survey, we have had the water survey done via our solicitor, which confirms the house is connected to the mains drainage system. The current owners have also arranged for someone to come and inspect the waste water gulley to see if any issue with this can be fixed. We've also asked the current owners if they know where the inspection chamber is, and are awaiting an answer.
I suppose from all of this we have two main questions:

• What kind of drainage survey would help in this situation? We're not entirely sure what the surveyor is recommending - a camera to check the drains, or something else?
• And, do we need one if we've established there is a connection to the mains (somewhere)?

Any and all suggestions and insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Doozergirl

A CCTV survey of the drains isn't very expensive and it's well worth doing.  You can work out where everything goes, find any potential issues and they can sort any potential blockages while they are there. 

Broken drains or drains discharging incorrectly can be really detrimental to the house. 

macman

A Homebuyers Report wil always advise you to get a drainage survey. And a gas survey. And an electrical survey. Why? Because a) the surveyor is not qualified to comment in any professional capacity on such specialist services, and b) because the survey is purely visual.  They are simply covering themselves against the risk of any comebacks at a later date.

I shall always remember the survey I had on my first property, which stated that 'there are no large trees adjacent to the property at the time of inspection'. Presumably in case they should creep up and fall on the house in the night after I purchased it...

greatcrested

Pretty pointless.

You already have some minor issues identified which you can either live with, as the current owners have done, or at some point remedy.

Is there any indication of majorblockages? When the loo is flushed or bath emptied, does water run away or does it come up through the ground somewhere due to blocked drains? If it's all basically working, I see nothing in what you've described as signficantly worrying.

robatwork

Go back and look at the house when it's raining heavily. If water is obviously draining and not pooling then it's unlikely to be a huge issue. I would ask to look in the back garden too when it's raining.  A guttering/roofing company would probably charge you £100 to assess the drains and gutters.

AdrianC

How big is the garden?
Is the house semi- or terrace or detached or...?
Where do the soil stacks from the house come, relative to the boundaries?
Is there any decking, or anywhere in the garden where ground levels may have been raised?