Drainage survey report

Section62

User4search said:

Thanks for inputs, there is no manhole at 90 degree turn. This is only manhole in front of property . See attached screenshot.

The images are useful, but the important one (as per my previous post) is where the pipe does an apparent 90 degree turn, somewhere between about the 10m mark and the roots at 13m.  Is it really a 90 degree bend, or is it a long curve?

User4search said:

But as per attached pics , the svp is connected to next door neighbour's pipe for first floor bathroom and toilet.  It seems to me that pipes from kitchen is just for sink water not for toilet upstair.

Yes, the upstairs toilet is not connected to the branch which serves the kitchen.  Just to be clear, I am fairly sure the SVP at the rear of the property only serves your side of the semi-detached pair. Your bathroom is at the back of the house, whereas the neighbour's bathroom is at the side and apparently served by a separate SVP.

The issue is whether your SVP connects to a drain under the extension and through to where the roots have been found or if it goes into a drain running in the opposite direction towards the neighbour's driveway (which makes it a public sewer). If the surveyor saw water in your manhole when you flushed the upstairs toilet then the former is most likely.

You are reaching the point where if you decide to purchase the property you need to budget to replace the whole of the (private) foul drainage from the rear SVP round to the front manhole and doing so to keep it clear of the area you hope to extend into. Spending money having the roots removed and the pipe lined isn't sensible when the pipe in question would be in the way of your future extension plans.

User4search

Thanks mate for detailed comments.  How much do you think It would cost just to remove the pipes from kitchen and point to other direction at rear? I am thinking for side extension only but I won't expect owner to pay for redoing those side pipes far away from future extension.  Tgat us something i need to sort out once i get property.

I think I need to ask owner sensibly to address current main  issues but not potential issues for future extension.   I can ask owner to fix the issue with roots and remove pipes from kitchen so it won't cause issue in future . Owner then may agree to come to any agreement or arrangement. 

 I have sent an email to agent that I am paying to fix the issues found from electricity survey and gas survey( costing 4-5k  to get to current standard) , however i did not mention cost to agent.  I said I am happy to talk with owner to come to any form agreement or arrangement to sort out drainage issues . 
If I ask owner to reduce the price in offer or to get the work done it would delay the completion and owner wants to complete before stamp duty.  I am ftb so I dont have to pay much  stsmpduty anyway. 

What other kind of arrangement can be made with owner to cover cost to sort out  drainage issue? Can owne pay lum sum amount to me at time of contact exchange,? Csn j pay reduced deposit? Etc 

Section62

User4search said:

Thanks mate for detailed comments.  How much do you think It would cost just to remove the pipes from kitchen and point to other direction at rear?
~
I think I need to ask owner sensibly to address current main  issues but not potential issues for future extension.   I can ask owner to fix the issue with roots and remove pipes from kitchen so it won't cause issue in future . Owner then may agree to come to any agreement or arrangement.

As there doesn't appear to be a current blockage I personally - given the plans you have for renovations and extensions - would just accept a future cost of rectifying the drainage as part of those other plans. To sort the drains now would cost thousands and be very disruptive.  To deal with it as part of the extension works would cost peanuts. You might have a different view though.

If I was the vendor and you asked me to pay to get the drains rerouted I would ask if you still wanted to buy at the agreed price, or should I put the property back on the market.

The roots in the manholes are not a serious issue. Those in the pipe could probably be cleared with vigorous rodding, if there were access to the pipe where it apparently does a 90 degree turn.

The thing that would concern me most is that the drainage survey stopped where the roots are, and you have no idea what happens after that point.

User4search

Right , I am going to meet owner tomorrow at the property .  So I would ask them to get the survey done after removing those roots and fix any other immediate issues as will appear after the survey.  I have already paid for multiple surveys so they will have to something to save deal.  They are separating and buying individual house as 2nd time buyers so they are more interested to save stamp duty than me.