First time buyer: leaking drains potentially causing movement under house

FA1027

Hello all,

Would really appreciate some advice here as my wife and I feel like we're in over our heads a bit!

We're in the process of buying our first home. It's a two-bedroom Victorian end-of-terrace house built around 1880.

The survey has come back, saying that the condition of the house is fine and broadly in keeping with its age. However, the surveyor has recommended getting someone to inspect the drains, and possibly a structural engineer too. The reason for this is that the surveyor noticed slight cracks/distortions around the doors on the ground floor, in addition to waste build-up in the drains. The surveyor believes leaking drains may have caused movement beneath the house. He hasn't used the 'S' word yet...!

We've contacted the estate agent and have said we're happy to pay for a drainage inspection, but the seller should have the drains unblocked and cleared beforehand. We're waiting to hear back from them.

How worried should we be about the situation? What are the potential risks here? If the inspector finds issues with the drains and the seller fixes them, can we proceed, or should we still get a structural engineer to have a look? Would there be any issues in getting insurance? How much time could all this possibly add to the purchase?

At what point should I inform my solicitors and/or mortgage lender about this development?

Any help advice would be really appreciated!

Section62

FA1027 said:

We've contacted the estate agent and have said we're happy to pay for a drainage inspection, but the seller should have the drains unblocked and cleared beforehand. We're waiting to hear back from them.

How worried should we be about the situation? What are the potential risks here? If the inspector finds issues with the drains and the seller fixes them, can we proceed, or should we still get a structural engineer to have a look? Would there be any issues in getting insurance? How much time could all this possibly add to the purchase?

Unless the drains are relatively new uPVC it is almost certain that the drainage survey will come back with some amount of defects.  The difficulty is likely to be working out whether the defects are the cause of the movement, or if it is something else.

"Slight cracks/distortions around the doors" could be anything - older buildings do tend to move around quite a bit.  Are all these doors near the drain, or are they in all parts of the ground floor?  Also, how much is 'slight'?  A structural engineer would consider the width of the crack (in mm) and the direction to gauge how much of a problem there is and the probable cause.  E.g. "slight cracks" could be caused by repeated slamming of doors.

Getting the drains cleared and surveyed is the starting point - but as this is a terrace property there is a 50/50 chance the drains could in fact be public sewers and the responsibility of the local sewerage company.

FreeBear

Section62 said: "slight cracks" could be caused by repeated slamming of doors.

In a lot of properties, the original window frames would be built in to the walls and provide structural support for the brickwork above. Rip these out, replace with uPVC and fail to fit a suitable lintel, cracks will often form above the door & window openings. But then again, the Victorians liked to use a ruddy great lump of stone above each window/door on a lot of houses which provided more than enough support.

FA1027

Section62 said:

"Slight cracks/distortions around the doors" could be anything - older buildings do tend to move around quite a bit.  Are all these doors near the drain, or are they in all parts of the ground floor?  Also, how much is 'slight'?  A structural engineer would consider the width of the crack (in mm) and the direction to gauge how much of a problem there is and the probable cause.  E.g. "slight cracks" could be caused by repeated slamming of doors.

Getting the drains cleared and surveyed is the starting point - but as this is a terrace property there is a 50/50 chance the drains could in fact be public sewers and the responsibility of the local sewerage company.

The doors are relatively near the drainage chamber to the side of the property.

From the photos the surveyor has given, I can only see one crack, it’s long but very thin and runs vertically alongside the doorframe to the side, before going into the corner of the wall. I’ve found old photos of the house and this crack isn’t present. I can’t see any distortions near the doorframes in the photos given, but I will take his word for it.

This is what the surveyor said:

“There are cracks/distortions noted in the door openings that could be associated with drains leaking below ground and close to the building externally. Faulty drainage or plumbing can cause movement and buildings can often be found to have defective drains. Leaking water can soften the ground beneath the foundations, leading to movement. We therefore recommend that the drainage is tested by means of a pressure test, possibly followed by a CCTV inspection. The local water company could be responsible for some drainage repairs and this should be confirmed by your legal adviser. Further advice with regard to remedial work necessary can be obtained from a structural engineer. A structural engineer's specification for necessary repair will also be required, particularly if no leaks can be found.”

If the drains are the responsibility of the local water company, is that good or bad? Would they fix everything?

MovingForwards

Without photos people are guessing.
You saw the property, listing and photos by the surveyor.

You (the seller) would be responsible for the drains from your property, until they connect to the public sewer which the water company are responsible for.

I've just had the drains jetted and surveyed for the block of flats I live in. There's no issues and the building has stood for over 110 years. I didn't think anyone had done it previously and wanted to ensure a higher pressure shower would drain away comfortably. It cost me £240. 

It's not as expensive as you think.

stuart45

Is the vendor happy to have his old salt glazed drains pressure tested?

newsgroupmonkey_

Am I the only one that's seeing missing posts here?