Why Should You Have a Pre-Purchase Drain Survey?

A pre-purchase drain survey is a tiny investment compared to the hundreds of thousands of pounds required to buy a house. Yet, the state of drainage systems is typically overlooked by standard house surveys. All manner of problems may be lurking beneath the surface without the buyer knowing anything about it. Even the seller themselves may be unaware. At the very least, a drainage survey provides you with peace of mind that the property purchase doesn't come with hidden costs. But it may also save you thousands of pounds in the long run.

What is a pre-purchase drain survey?

A drain survey is a specialist job, requiring all the right equipment and expertise. At the most basic level, it's an in-depth investigation of drainage systems connected to your house. A drainage survey gives you a detailed overview of the state of your drainage systems and highlights any current issues or potential issues that might arise in the future. The kind of issues the survey looks for include:

• Collapsed pipes
• Leaks
• Blocked drains
• Non-flowing sewage
• Tree root ingress
• Damaged pipes

How is a drainage survey performed?

At Reactive Plumbing and Drainage, we perform a CCTV drain survey. It's a high tech means of investigating all your drainage systems. In simple terms, we send a remote-controlled camera down the pipework and we watch as it snakes its way around the underground plumbing. In real-time we can see if there are any badly connected pipes, any sewage back up, root ingress or other forms of wear and tear. Another potential issue is subsidence which can cause the property and/or drainage systems to move. The whole process starts with an engineer cleaning the drains using a high-pressure water jet. The survey in total takes between two and three hours. Once it's completed we provide a drainage survey report.

What's included in a pre-purchase drainage survey report?

A map of your drainage system: If any damage or repairs are required in the future, then having a map of your drainage system is very useful. Problems can be pinpointed faster, keeping costs low. Should you want to sell your property in the future, then this is useful information to hand over, giving the potential buyer reassurance before they buy.

Overview of structural condition: This is probably the most important part for a home buyer, as it reveals what kind of condition the pipework and drainage system is in. If there are any problems, this will be flagged up, including potential costs. If there are any bad connections, which could cause drainage back-up or incorrect flow levels, this will also be revealed.

Ownership boundaries: Often property owners don't know who owns what, and who's responsible for which part of the drainage system. We can reveal that information so that any future issues will not be open to dispute. When a problem occurs, you'll know where responsibility lies.

In-depth survey report: The survey report will include images and videos as captured by our CCTV drain survey. If there are any legal disputes regarding the condition of the drainage system, this kind of evidence will help clarify the situation. As drainage experts we can also offer our professional opinion. The drainage report will tell you everything you need to know about the state of your drainage system.

Why is a pre-purchase drain survey so important?

The first thing to mention is that a drain survey will not be covered by your property survey. It's a specialist job requiring specialist equipment and expertise.

The reason you need a drainage survey is much the same as why you need a property survey done. A property survey is undertaken to check the state of the property to make sure you will not be hit with maintenance or repair costs after you've bought the property. And if you reveal these issues prior to purchasing, you can either renegotiate the price to take these issues into account; or, simply walk away from the deal if there is no movement from the seller.

The same goes for your pre-purchase drain survey. When you're investing money into a property, you want to be sure there are no hidden costs which will put an unexpected dent in your finances at a later date.

Drainage issues can vary greatly in cost, but in the worst-case scenario, you can be talking about thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Consider the following scenarios:

Root ingress: Otherwise known as root intrusion, this is when a root from a tree causes damage to the underground pipework. It can shift the pipework causing potential issues with connection. It's one of the most common problems and in the worst-case scenario could collapse the whole drainage system. By their nature, trees seek out the source of water, so they are attracted to drainage systems.

Leaks: Underground pipe leaks are hard to detect because the water or waste takes a long time to come to the surface and make themselves detectable. Leaks can lead to damp in a property, causing additional costs. Altogether costs can rise into the thousands. 

Blockages: Blockages can back-up sewage causing a horrible odour within a property. Usually, blockages reveal themselves when water starts draining slowly from a sink. Sometimes a household drain clearance product can temporarily clear the problem, only for it to keep reoccurring. It becomes an ongoing problem. The solution is to tackle the blockage at source as it's likely there's a mini 'fatberg' blocking up the pipes further down. A pre-purchase drain survey will reveal any blockages that are going to cause ongoing problems and ensure they don't become an ongoing hassle for the buyer.

What are the Benefits of Using the CCTV Drain Survey Approach for Stubborn Drain Blockages?

Peace Of Mind

When you are stuck with stubborn drainage problems, you really feel at the peak of your mental state. It is because the drainage issues disturb the whole foundation, and you are helpless to carry out your routine tasks with these troubles. When you hire a CCTV drain service, you are at peace as it solves your drainage problem faster and removes it from the root. This technique involves a deeper understanding of the problem and so, the plumber will be able to accurately and effectively repair your drain blockage.

Managing The Problem Effectively

When you find that drain unblocking won't work for your drainage problems like damaged joints, cracks, deformities, and others, it is advisable that you should go for a CCTV drain survey service with a professional drainage company. It will solve your stubborn drainage problems in no time and will also remove the blockages from the root permanently.

No Excavation Required

When you hire a CCTV drain survey service, there is no requirement of excavation, and your drainage problem gets solved effectively. Unlike other traditional methods of repairing the drain blockages which are expensive also, this technique is cost-effective as well as efficient.

Digging & Destruction Free

A CCTV drain survey doesn't require any digging and so, it is completely a non-destructive method of solving your drainage problem. As a result, the cost of diagnosis and inspection of the problem is very minimal compared to those where digging and other stuff are required. So, it is the best drainage technique you should implement when your blocked drains are stubborn.

Cost-Effective Technique

The CCTV drain survey is the most cost-effective drainage service you can hire. As it doesn't involve any destruction of the ground or pipes, it costs minimal. Moreover, it gives the best and most accurate results with thorough images of your drain blockage. The plumbing technicians get a clear picture of the drainage problem, which enables them to reach the root and solve it efficiently.

Minimal Disruption

When the plumber has located the problem through the camera, they can carry out their work on that particular part very easily without disturbing the other areas. The biggest advantage of this service is that the technician has the clearest picture and the location of the problem to be solved.

Accurate Diagnosis

With the CCTV drain survey, it is possible to know the root of the problem easily, and so, your plumbing technician can deal with it without any disruption. Clearer images of the blockage on the large television device will enable the drainage professional to have a thorough look at it. Moreover, it makes easy for them to carry out their repair work on the damaged area without disturbing the surroundings, which is the most important benefit.

Quick and Full Reporting

With a CCTV drain survey, the drain blockage problem is solved faster within no time. Also, it gives accurate results due to the fact that the plumber knows the exact location of the problem. So, they can give precise as well as accurate solutions to your drainage issues.

Ideal For New Homeowners

Whenever you look for a new property to purchase, it is advisable that you hire a professional CCTV drain survey to inspect the drainage system of the property. It will save you big costs that may arise due to the existing drainage issues. You can immediately call a plumber and get it repaired if you find any drain issue.

A home buyer drain survey is a smart investment

When you compare the small cost of purchasing an initial survey, compared to the potential costs of not checking, then it's a no-brainer. For the same reason, homebuyers invest in a property survey; home buyers would be wise to invest in a pre-purchase drain survey.