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With buyers especially keen to move quickly right now, we’re seeing high numbers of enquiries where no searches have been carried out. These include the absence of drainage searches which can cause problems if the property has had an extension built.

Without the benefit of a drainage search outlining the route of adopted drains, there is a potential risk that the extension could have been built over or within three metres of an ‘unknown’ public drain/sewer, for which there will be no build-over agreement in place with the local water authority.

Fortunately, we have a bespoke sewer insurance policy that can help keep the transaction moving, and cover buyers if essential repairs to the drain are needed in the future and additional costs are claimed by the water authority.

The cover also protects clients when a drainage search is received and it shows the route of the drain/sewer is within three metres of the footprint of the property, but there is no evidence of a build-over agreement.

To get a quote, select the Services/Drainage risk type and then ‘No Build over Agreement’ as the policy type.