Water Utilities Coming Soon? To Pay or Not to Pay?

If you’re unfamiliar with Southwest Florida, you may not know the areas…

Tip 8: To Pay or not to Pay Water utilities. That is the question. This is the eighth tip in our series: “12 Tips for Buying Real Estate in Southwest Florida” which is also available as a free eBook at www.AckermanSWFL.com/ebooks/

Where houses have well water & septic systems and the areas where houses are on city water and sewer. This is important information to know when you’re searching like a real estate agent for homes because it could mean that you’ll have to pay a monthly water utilities bill.

Well water & septic systems are typically found in houses in rural areas of Southwest Florida such as Lehigh Acres and towns further inland. Therefore if you purchase a rural home, you probably won’t have to pay a monthly water bill. But as you make your way out to the coastal cities like Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Naples, and Fort Myers, you’ll find that the majority of the homes in these cities are already attached to their city’s water and sewer system which means that you will have to pay for your water utilities each month.

Most of the homes in the city of Cape Coral, for example, have been on well and septic, but the city government is requiring that all homes in the city limits must be connected to city water. These connections require that special water assessments be placed on home owners. These water assessments have, in the past, been for as much as $25,000. While the city of Cape Coral has been working to reduce the fees, cost to run water lines and install a gravity sewer system still run the average Cape Coral homeowner around $15,000 with impact fees, cost of abandoning septic system and actually looking the water and sewer lines up reaching costly amounts as well. Maps are available from the city of Cape Coral that depict when your area is scheduled to change over from well water to city water. (http://www.capecoral.net/Government/PublicWorks/UtilitiesExpansion/ExpansionSchedule/tabid/720/Default.aspx)

If you’re shopping for homes in Southwest Florida and you don’t wish to pay for water utilities each month or water assessments, contact us today.

You may also download our free eBook 12 Tips to Buying Real Estate in Southwest Florida for more information on water assessments in Cape Coral. -A.J.