We have all been witness to the fragile housing market over the last few months. With interest rates ever-increasing, mortgage rates have also seen some of their highest levels in many years. However, the rise in interest rates has forced down house prices across the UK.
Because of this, some experts are suggesting now is a great time to buy. For those in the financial position to move home, finding your dream property at a lower price is an opportunity not to be missed.
However, before you sign for that dream house, be sure to undertake a homebuyers drainage survey first!
What is a homebuyers drainage survey?
A pre-purchase homebuyers drainage survey is often undertaken separately to your homebuyers survey, and focuses purely on investigating the health of your properties drainage system, including any off-mains sewage treatment systems they have.
Although your property’s drainage system is out of sight, it should definitely not be out of mind. A drainage survey will make sure that you know exactly what condition the pipes and sewage treatment system is in so you don’t get left with a nasty mess (quite literally!).
Homebuyers drainage surveys for home insurance
One of the main benefits of undertaking this kind of survey is making sure you have the correct home insurance cover. If, unfortunately, you ran into drainage issues later down the line which were not disclosed in your original assessment of the home, your insurance company may be reluctant to cover you. This leaves you forking out a hefty amount to fix the issue at hand.
In addition, if your property is using off-mains drainage systems, your mortgage lender or surveying company might require you to undertake a drain survey.
So, what does the process look like?
Here at Proseptic, we undertake our drainage surveys using CCTV equipment. These state-of-the-art cameras are fed through your system, allowing our team to see the condition of pipes and sewage treatment solutions live. Once the whole system has been inspected, our experts would highlight any issues they have uncovered to you and recommend the best course of action to resolve this. It is then up to you and the seller of the home how best to proceed (for example, who covers the cost of repairs or if the price of the house could be reduced in order to cover these costs).
This live feed can also be a powerful tool when negotiating home insurance cover. Not only can it prove the good state of the current drainage system, but can also be referred back to should you need to make a claim later down the line.
What issues might be uncovered in a homebuyers drainage survey?
When undertaking these surveys, we would be looking for some common drainage issues as well as any smaller or unusual problems to report back to you.
Some common drainage problem include:
- Broken or cracked pipes
- Tree root incursions
- Displaced pipe joints
- Clogs or blockages
- Pest or insect intrusions
The severity of the issues found can vary from home to home and although they might not be an issue now, catching these early can save you from spending a pretty penny later on.
Book your survey today
At Proseptic, we have over 30 years of experience undertaking homebuyers drainage surveys across the South of England. This means we are your most trusted local drains experts! Get in touch with us today to book yours.