Is a sewer scope worth adding to an inspection in Buenos Aires?

S

SmallEcho

First-time buyer
Skipping the sewer scope leaves a potentially expensive unknown, but ordering every optional inspection would eat into the cash I need after completion. The general inspection is already booked for an older 245 m² studio in Buenos Aires, and sewer coverage is not part of it. With mature street trees nearby, I am reluctant to ignore a full-replacement estimate of ARS 40,180,000.

I had assumed a separate camera inspection was a standard addition for an older property, but perhaps it is only worthwhile if the operator can reach the section for which I would actually be responsible. I also need to establish whether any pipe is shared or handled by the building.

Would the sensible next step be to confirm ownership and access first, then check that the quoted replacement and the scope cover the same length? I am trying to preserve enough of the emergency fund for moving, urgent repairs, service charges, the insurance excess and the first mortgage payment.
 
Given the age, nearby trees and size of the possible bill, I would add it if the operator can actually inspect the relevant private section. The comparison is not really scope cost versus no cost; it is scope cost versus accepting an unknown that could affect your repair budget immediately after completion. Ask for recorded findings and a clear note of any section they could not reach.
 
Before booking it, what does “private sewer line” mean for this particular studio? Is the line exclusively attached to the property, or could part of it be shared or maintained through the building? That affects how useful the result is and who might face any repair cost. I’d also ask whether the ARS 40,180,000 estimate covers the same stretch of pipe the scope would examine.
 
I wouldn’t call a scope automatically worthwhile just because the replacement estimate is frightening. If responsibility sits with a building or consortium, or access allows only a small and inconclusive section to be viewed, the test may not answer the financial question.

Start with the inspection findings and any visible drainage warning signs, but also get the responsibility boundaries clarified in writing. Furniture would be the first thing I delayed; the emergency fund and known immediate repairs matter more.
 
One addition to my earlier reply: don’t let the general inspection and sewer decision become separate budget exercises. Put the scope cost, likely moving expenses, first service charges, insurance excess and first mortgage payment on one cash-flow sheet. If paying for the scope still leaves a comfortable reserve, the uncertainty it removes may justify it even without obvious symptoms.
 
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