Buying a house means paying for surveys, searches and legal work. The drains are often overlooked, yet they can be one of the more expensive things to put right. A pre-purchase CCTV drain survey shows you their condition before you commit.
Why the standard survey is not enough
A typical homebuyer survey looks at the building and may note visible drainage features, but surveyors do not usually put a camera inside the underground pipes. Problems such as cracked pipes, root ingress or collapses are hidden from view until they cause a blockage, a smell or subsidence.
Why it matters in Southampton
Southampton’s housing makes drain surveys particularly worthwhile in some areas:
- Victorian and Edwardian streets, in areas such as Shirley, Freemantle, Portswood, St Denys, Bevois Valley and Woolston, often still have their original clay pipes. After a century or more, joints can open and pipes can crack.
- Mature trees, common in Bassett, Highfield and parts of Upper Shirley, send roots into drains through small cracks and joints.
- Extensions and conversions are often built over or close to existing drains, sometimes without the permission now required.
- Shared drains behind terraces may affect you even though they are now usually Southern Water’s responsibility. See who is responsible for a shared drain.
What a survey can reveal
- cracked, fractured or collapsed pipes;
- tree roots growing into the drain;
- displaced joints and dips in the pipe where waste collects;
- heavy build-up of fat or scale;
- where the drains run, and whether they pass under an extension.
For more on how surveys work, see what is a CCTV drain survey.
Extensions and building over sewers
If a property has an extension close to a public sewer, the owner may have needed permission from Southern Water. Southern Water requires a build-over application for building work within 3 metres of a public sewer. Your solicitor can ask the seller whether any approval was obtained, and a drain survey can show where the pipes actually run. This is worth checking if you are planning an extension of your own.
How to use the results
- The drains are in good condition: you have peace of mind and a record of their condition on the day you bought.
- Minor defects are found: you can budget for repairs, or ask the seller to put them right before completion.
- Significant defects are found: you can get a quote for the repair and use it to renegotiate the price, or reconsider the purchase.
Book the survey early, ideally once your offer is accepted and before exchange, so there is time to act on the findings. You will usually need the seller’s permission to access the property and lift the covers.
Pre-purchase drain surveys in and around Southampton
We carry out CCTV drain surveys across Southampton and the surrounding area, and explain the findings in plain English. See CCTV drain surveys in Southampton, CCTV drain surveys in Winchester, or contact us.