Septic Tanks and What They Mean to Buyers and Sellers
As a buyer, when you look at a home, you really should understand the importance of septic systems. If the home is not on city water and sewer, then you will be responsible for both. It could mean a lot of money if you do not do your homework and understand its importance.
With a septic tank, you will need to know if the system was approved by the Department of Health when it was installed. If the listing agent does not have the information for you, you and/or your buyers agent need to contact the Health Department. In Henderson County this will mean a trip to the building located at 1200 Spartanburg Highway.
You will want to go to the door for the Health Department and then follow it all the way to the back, to the door marked:
and talk to Fran. You will need to know the property pin number or the name of the person who ordered the system. This can sometimes be tricky. It may have been put in the name of the installer instead of the owner of the property, or the original owner may have been too many owners back to locate. If this is the case, the records may be lost.
But if you are lucky enough to locate the records, then you will have an approved system. Congratulate yourself. This is the best case scenario. You will get a copy of the record, which will be a nice map showing exactly where everything is. There will be measurements and you will be able to walk it off and know where on the property it is, and where it lis situated in relation to the house and the well. This is invaluable.
You must understand where the leach field is situated, and you must never drive on it. This will result in compaction of the soil on the drain pipes and the system will not drain properly.
If you do not locate a mapped permit from the Department of Health, do not lose heart. You can have the system inspected by a certified septic inspector. This involves having the tank located and sucked out (I know...) and cleaned. Then it will be inspected for size and to see if it is draining properly. Systems are sized by the number of bedrooms the home has. So you will need to verify if the system was sized properly for the home it services. I would advise this for any buyer, even if the system does have a permit and is older than 10 years. A lot can happen in that time. Usually an approved system has few problems. They are really built to last. But for peace of mind, I still advise it.
Reading up on Septic Systems and how they work is a really good idea. You can find all kinds of links online. If you buy a home with a septic tank, be sure you understand how they work and how to maintain one. You will need to understand what you can and cannot put down the pipes. It is very different from a city system.
As a seller with a septic tank on your property, you may want to have this information available for a potential buyer. These issues are a big deal, especially to a first time buyer. If you do not have it, you will want to get it. The more information you have to put a potential buyers mind at ease, the better. If you do not have the paperwork, you may want to be pro-active and get the tank cleaned and inspected. It will show potential buyers good faith. Either way, in this area it will cost between $250-$350.
With a little due dilegence on both sides, there should be no serious issues in moving forward.
Comments(2)