A CCTV drain survey should be on your radar if you’re looking to buy a new house. Given the government 95% mortgage announcement last year, a lot more of us are considering getting on the property ladder. The in-depth inspection can identify a problem before it causes damage to your new property, preventing the cost of calling out emergency repair engineers. This drain service is particularly useful for those of you who are about to buy a house. While some issues are quick and easy to repair, others may require several days worth of work. With your drainage report, you can consult with an engineer before you move in. You can arrange any work that needs to be completed before you move in and will have a clear idea of the conditions of your drains. Maintain Drains offer CCTV drain surveys across Poole, Bournemouth and the surrounding areas. We have over 15 years experience servicing Dorset’s drains and we understand the importance of drain inspections when it comes to buying a house. Having worked in residential and commercial properties, we know that preventing the issue is the best way to protect yourself from expensive repair work, business closure and drain system shut-downs. To help you understand more about this service, we’ve written an article giving you the benefits of conducting a CCTV drain survey before you buy a house. If you have any questions or you’d like to speak to a drainage engineer, get in touch with our team today.
What is a CCTV Drain Survey?
A CCTV drain survey is a thorough inspection of your full drainage system. An in-depth drainage inspection like this will allow your engineer to quickly identify any problems in your system and find the best solution. This can save you time and money as your drainage engineer will use the CCTV drain survey to identify problems before they cause serious damage to your drains or property. If you’re buying a new home, a drain inspection can be particularly beneficial. You can move in reassured that nothing will go wrong with your pipework and you won’t find yourself dealing with blocked drains, pipe repairs or excavation.
How Does a CCTV Drain Survey Work?
A CCTV drain survey is the fastest and most cost-effective way to get to the root of your problems. Your engineer will guide high-tech drain inspection cameras through your system, monitoring a live-feed to identify any issues or damage to your pipework. Once the problem has been located, your engineer will be able to recommend the best solution. This could be something simple such as drain rodding or jetting to remove a basic blockage. However, a CCTV drain survey will also find issues such as tree roots in drains, rat infestations or collapsed pipe work deep in your drainage system. Without excavation, the live-feed from a CCTV drain inspection is the best way to identify some of these major problems.
Are You Required to Have a CCTV Drain Survey When You Buy a House?
While it isn’t a requirement to have a CCTV drain survey when you buy a house, we would always recommend it. Your house survey may identify some drainage issues, however, your surveyor won’t conduct a thorough inspection of your drains or pipework. That means you won’t know how major any issues are until after you move in. If you’re still unsure about whether or not you need a CCTV drain survey before you buy a house, we’ve highlighted some of the key benefits below:
Prevent Expensive Bills
When you buy a house, you take full ownership of the property and inherit any problems that may be lingering beneath the surface. If anything does go wrong, it is your responsibility to cover the costs of the repair work. A CCTV drain survey will identify any underlying issues before you sign off on the property. Your drainage engineer will identify anything that may become a serious problem later down the line. In doing so, they will be able to recommend an immediate solution that is far more cost-effective than emergency repair work.
Negotiation Tool
If you’re thinking about conducting a CCTV drain survey on a house you’re about to buy, you have probably already fallen in love with the property. A drain inspection can help you negotiate costs as it will outline all of the work that may need to be done on the drainage system. If your drain survey report identifies any issues, the current owner will be faced with two options. They can either pay for the repair work before signing over the house, or they can lower the price to accommodate the cost of the work that is needed.
Drain Ownership
In 2011, the drain laws in the UK changed leaving many homeowners unsure about ownership. This is important because if your drainage issue is caused by a problem outside of your ownership lines, you can have it repaired free of charge. A CCTV drain survey will tell you exactly where your responsibility ends, so you don’t end up paying for repair work that the council should take care of.
Find Out More About CCTV Drain Surveys in Dorset
A CCTV drain survey gives new homeowners peace of mind while preventing huge repair bills, helping negotiate the costs of the house and identifying drain ownership boundaries. If you’re thinking about conducting a CCTV drain survey on your own property, or a property you are about to buy, our team will be more than happy to provide you with a no-obligation quote. The drain report will outline any repair work needed and our engineers can help you identify the best solution moving forward. Get in touch with our team to find out when we can book you in for your CCTV drain inspection today.
FAQs
Q: What is a CCTV Drain Survey?
A: A CCTV drain survey is a thorough inspection of your full drainage system. It allows engineers to quickly identify problems and find effective solutions, potentially saving time and money by addressing issues before they cause significant damage.
Q: How Does a CCTV Drain Survey Work?
A: During a CCTV drain survey, high-tech cameras are maneuvered through your drainage system, providing live-feed visuals to engineers. This enables them to identify various issues such as blockages, tree root intrusions, and collapsed pipes without the need for excavation.
Q: Is a CCTV Drain Survey Required When Buying a House?
A: While not mandatory, a CCTV drain survey is strongly recommended before purchasing a house. Regular house surveys often don’t comprehensively assess drainage systems, potentially leading to discovering problems after you’ve moved in.
Q: What Are the Benefits of Preventing Expensive Bills with a CCTV Drain Survey?
A: Conducting a CCTV drain survey before finalising a property purchase helps identify underlying drainage issues. This proactive approach can prevent unexpected and costly repair work down the line, resulting in significant cost savings.
Q: How Can a CCTV Drain Survey Be Used as a Negotiation Tool?
A: If a CCTV drain survey uncovers drainage problems in a potential property, the survey report can serve as a negotiation tool. It outlines necessary repairs, allowing you to request the current owner to cover repair costs or adjust the property price accordingly.
Q: How Does a CCTV Drain Survey Help Clarify Drain Ownership?
A: Changes in UK drain laws in 2011 left homeowners unsure about drain ownership. A CCTV drain survey can delineate ownership boundaries, ensuring you don’t pay for repairs that fall under the jurisdiction of local authorities or councils.
Q: What Are the Benefits of Conducting a CCTV Drain Survey?
A: Conducting a CCTV drain survey offers peace of mind for new homeowners. It helps prevent large repair bills, aids in negotiating house costs, and clarifies drain ownership boundaries, ensuring you pay only for repairs you’re responsible for.
Q: How Can I Learn More About CCTV Drain Surveys and Get a Quote?
A: To learn more about conducting a CCTV drain survey on your property or a potential purchase, you can contact our team at Maintain Drains. We can provide a no-obligation quote for necessary repair work and assist you in finding the best way forward.