As part of a Home Survey we check the drainage inspection chambers located on the property (so long as they can be lifted safely), as a result sometimes we found issues in the inspection chambers, such as:
- Cracked benching (the cement on the side of the drainage channel
- Debris in the base of the drainage channel
- Standing water within the chamber
- Cracking drainage pipes
- Human waste
- Blockages
In a recent home survey we noticed there was soil and a relatively small amount of water standing at the base of the drainage channel (see the lead image on this post). This led to the drainage section of our Level 3 Building Survey report advising the client to get a drainage CCTV inspection of the entire sub-ground pipe system before exchange of contracts as we had concerns defects potentially present in the pipe run that was not visible within the chamber.
Luckily the client took our advice as the CCTV report concluded several pipes had failed, or had leaking joints, and (as seen in the second image) approximately £3000 + vat of repairs are needed.
The client is now able to renegotiate with the vendor to account for the unexpected drainage defects.
The moral of this post is that sometimes as surveyors we need to advise clients to undertake further investigations but there will always be a a good reason for the request.
If you would like to instruct us to undertake a pre-purchase home survey for you please contact us to discuss your needs.