You’ve enjoyed the peace and quiet that comes with living outside the hustle and bustle of town, but that privacy often means being too far from a municipal sewer system. A septic system provides a self-contained waste management solution that is not dependent on sewer access for about one in five properties. These systems are far from rare, exotic or obscure, but they can still sometimes be a stumbling block along the path of selling your home if prospective buyers are unfamiliar with them.
Find out what you need to know about selling your home with a septic system before you list it and all the ways you can confidently assure a prospective buyer that no sewer connection really is no problem.
Listing Lessons: Selling a House with a Sewer System 101
Buying a home is stressful! For the vast majority of American homeowners, their home will be their single largest investment. Naturally, everyone wants to be sure they’re making a sound investment, and understandably so.
While septic systems are very common throughout the United States, they can be mysterious and unfamiliar for people moving away from the municipal sewer system for the first time. As a seller, you want to allay as many of those fears as possible while showing all the reasons why your home is the perfect choice for a potential buyer.
First and foremost, it’s vital to provide information about the septic system as accurately as possible to your knowledge. This includes things like the age of the system, service and repair history and even the location of the components on the property.
If you know that your septic system needs attention, you should correct it as much as possible before listing your home. This particularly holds true for things like a damaged tank cover or surface runoff into the drain field, which are both easily corrected. If your problems seem a bit more extensive, it’s important to obtain multiple estimates for repair and restoration. Make sure these estimates address the actual root cause of the trouble and an actionable plan to address that cause.
One thing you shouldn’t do? Try to hide the truth. If you know there’s a problem and try to conceal the issue, you could face unpleasant legal repercussions for fraudulent and illegal activity. Septic system problems are rare for well-maintained systems, but they can be deathly serious when it comes to health and safety risks.
Getting Your Septic System in Top Shape for a New Owner
Ready to open your home to its next owner, but aren’t sure if the septic system could present a problem? Sunset Septic can help you get an accurate picture of your system, how it’s working and if any repairs are needed so you can sell your home with confidence.
