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Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Drainage Pipes in Your House Inspection

~ This is a guest post. ~

If you’re about to buy a house, you’ll be only too aware of how it’s one of the biggest financial transactions and commitments you’ll make in your life. You’ll spend a few hundred dollars – maybe more – on land checks and surveys to make sure that the house itself is in good condition and worth the money your mortgage provider is about to lend you. Do you, though, think about getting your drainage pipes checked over? Probably not. 

A regular survey probably won’t look at your underground drainage system. You’ll be able to see where the drains are, but you may not find out what sort of condition they’re in. This is a bit odd, really, as your drainage is vital to the smooth, healthy running of your home.

It’s what’s underneath that counts
It doesn’t matter if your house is quite old or if it’s relatively new, you’ll almost certainly be planning some changes – either redecoration or some structural changes. These cost money, but just as important is making sure your underground pipes don’t need any attention. If they do, and you’re not aware of this, you could be presented with a very expensive surprise – a drain shattered by tree roots – and you will no doubt regret spending all that money on a new porch.

Get a CCTV drain survey
Having your pipes surveyed by CCTV can save you a lot of money in the long-run. You could still go ahead and buy the house, but you could ask for a reduction in the asking price so you can fix your drainage system as soon as you move in. You should be looking for displaced or collapsed pipes, as well as tree roots working their way into the pipes. There’s also clogs and cracks to look out for.

A CCTV check isn’t intrusive in any way – the camera is inserted at the checkpoints and the examination can be done is a short length of time. The survey will pick up any problems – either ones that are in an advanced state, or any that should be dealt with to prevent further damage down the line. Your surveyor should also give you an idea of how much the repairs will cost, so you can negotiate a new price with your vendor.

A drainage survey can help you to plan your extension
If you have plans to extend the property once you’ve moved in, then a CCTV survey will highlight any problems that building or excavation work might cause or make worse. Many a building project is thwarted or delayed by problems with damaged underground pipes, so it’s best to be able to build this knowledge into your plans before you start.

You’ll even get a film!
Your surveyor should give you a DVD of your inspection so you can show it to your mortgage provider or vendor to back up your mortgage application or argument for a price reduction.

There should also be a written report detailing any problems, as well as suggestions and cost estimates for repair work.