Home Buyers Drain Survey

There’s no doubt about it. Buying a home is expensive. It’s the single biggest investment most of us ever make. And the price you negotiate with the seller, is only part of the story. By the time you’ve added all the associated expenses like stamp duty, legal fees and surveys, the figure is considerably higher.

Home Buyers’ surveys

Surveys used to be fairly straightforward. A chartered surveyor would turn up and carry out an agreed level of inspection, ranging from ‘basic’ up to the dreaded ‘structural’, with an appropriately sliding scale of charges. Most people would opt for the least expensive their mortgage lender would accept. These days, against a backdrop of compensation culture and litigation, it seems there are more exclusions than inclusions on any official paperwork. So a surveyor is likely to add disclaimers about anything he or she can’t actually see or inspect properly — like drains. Hence the increasing need for a proper Homebuyers’ drainage survey.

Know your drains

Actually, given that legislation has recently changed the rules on who is responsible for which bit of drain or sewer, it’s no bad thing to have a survey which clearly shows what is where and whose is whose. On top of that, knowing about the general condition of the drainage system you’re about to invest in is another bonus. You certainly don’t want any nasty surprises like major remedial work because sewage has backed up into your new dream home!

Forewarned is forearmed

Having a CCTV survey isn't just relevant for older properties either. New houses may have badly laid drainage, especially if the drains haven’t yet been adopted by the local utility company. That said, most new properties have some form of guarantee (anything from 5 -10 years) so that’s worth checking out too.

The root of the problem

Drainage in older properties may be more susceptible to tree root ingress and that can spell a whole heap of trouble for the owner. Trees are a ‘root’ cause of drainage blockages. Because once a root finds its way into a pipe, tiny hair roots grow and multiply and before you can say ‘The Drain Hunter's Homebuyers’ CCTV survey’, you've got a real problem on your hands. A survey will, of course, forewarn you of any likely problems so that you can take evasive action.

Extreme weather

If your property has been subject to extremes of weather - droughts and floods - there is an increased risk of subsidence, and here again, a CCTV survey will show up if the drains have moved and caused a fracture in the pipe.

Illegal connections

Whilst we’re on the subject of drainage surveys, it’s a good opportunity to make sure that all your drains are connected up correctly. Extensions, adding new appliances and DIY plumbing are all potential causes of illegal drainage connections. Often we find washing machines discharging to the wrong sewer, simply because people have been unaware of the difference between surface (also known as ‘storm’) water and foul waste drains. 

A note about commercial properties

Incidentally, although here we’re primarily concerned with domestic drainage, it is worth mentioning that regular surveys of commercial and industrial sites are recommended to ensure that the drainage infrastructure is in good working order and to avoid any potential pollution incidents.

For domestic drainage surveys..

So, what do you do if you think you need a drainage survey? Call The Drain Hunter of course! 02 4915 7348, or as for more info here.