5 Things to Know before you Buy a Home with a Septic Tank

Are you looking to purchase a new home away from the hustle and bustle of a town or city? Perhaps you’re looking to move to a more secluded area surrounded by countryside? It’s important to understand that a home in a rural area may be connected to a septic tank system.

If you’re still looking to go ahead with the purchase, we’ve put together five things you need to know before you buy a home with a septic tank.

Speak to the Seller

If possible, speak to the seller to ensure the septic tank or sewage treatment plant has been emptied/maintained regularly. If you feel it necessary, ask for invoices or receipts to prove this. Usually a septic tank will need emptying once a year, but the sewage treatment plant will also need regular maintenance.

Outgoing Costs

If you’re someone with high monthly outgoings, it’s a good idea to work out the costs of owning a property with a septic tank. For example, how much will any emptying/servicing costs be? Get an idea of how much the annual costs will to maintain the system and see if it’s something you feel you can afford in a new property.

Get a Survey

Don’t just rely on a homebuyer’s survey to get to grips with the goings-on of your drains. It’s important to get a full, pre-purchase drainage survey before buying a property with a septic tank. This will allow you to see any potential issues within the drainage system and how costly this could be in the future.

Third Party Land

Are any parts of the homes septic tank system on third party land? If so, find out more about the relationship with the landowner; even if you have legal rights to access the system, being denied physical access to repair or replace it via the land could cause a massive issue that may require going through the court.

Waste Water

Find out where the waste water for the property goes after it has left the septic tank. If the answer is into a watercourse or ditch, it’s illegal under Environment Agency legislations. By 2020, septic tanks that discharge wastewater to a water course will need to be upgraded in order to be compliant, which could be costly as a new homeowner!

Your dream countryside home shouldn’t be determined by a septic tank. At Bates Environmental, we offer fantastic installation, repair and emptying services to help you keep your septic tank system in perfect running order.

For more information about how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact the team today by calling us on 0800 0433711 or via our contact page.