Is a sewer scope worth adding to the inspection in Stockholm?

[jae.holt]

The booked inspection will not cover the drain running from the house toward the public connection. That is the gap worrying me most.

This is an older 50 m² detached home in Stockholm, with established trees between the property and street. I have also received a SEK 426,400 estimate for replacing the whole run, although I still need to confirm how property-specific that figure is.

Would you pay for a separate camera scope before buying, given that the fee is small beside a possible replacement? Or is it reasonable to wait unless there are slow drains or other symptoms? Moving costs and an insurance excess are manageable; taking on an unseen sewer problem would be much harder to reverse.

 

[anika_vale]

I wouldn’t base this on whether it is routine. The relevant comparison is the scope fee versus a possible SEK 426,400 liability. With an older house and trees nearby, paying for more information seems proportionate, even if the result simply reduces uncertainty. Just make sure the inspection reaches the section you could actually be responsible for.

 

[CelineLinden]

Is the replacement figure specific to this property and route, or a broad estimate? Also, where does the private line end and responsibility change? Those answers could materially alter the risk. I’d ask what access point the scope company would use, how much of the line they expect to see, and whether you receive footage plus written findings.

 

[cai.fable]

I’d add a caveat: a scope is useful, but it is not a pass/fail guarantee. Mature trees do not by themselves prove root intrusion, and an apparently clear line does not eliminate every future problem. Its value is in finding visible defects or reasons for further investigation before purchase. If access is limited, the result may be less reassuring than it first sounds.

 

[canvas.calm]

The budget context would decide it for me. After moving costs, immediate repairs, any service charges, the insurance excess and the first mortgage payment, would a sewer failure wipe out the emergency fund? If yes, get the scope before committing and delay nonessential furniture. Then use any findings to request a property-specific repair estimate and ask the insurer what, if anything, the proposed cover excludes; terms can vary in Sweden.