One on cesspit: one on mains drainage

oldwiring

Has anyone any clue or info from experience how much extra value is added to a property by its being changed from cesspit to mains drainage?

How often do cesspits need emptying?

martindow

oldwiring wrote: »

Has anyone any clue or info from experience how much extra value is added to a property by its being changed from cesspit to mains drainage?

How often do cesspits need emptying?

Is it a cess pit or a septic tank? Cess pits are not good as they need frequent emptying, maybe several times a year depending on their size. Septic tanks are much better as the waste decomposes rather like compost and they only need emptying every few years. The emptying cost is about 80 or 100 pounds a time but you save lots on your water bill as you do not pay the drainage cost.

I would see a septic tank as being better than mains drainage but it will put some buyers off who have not previously bought in rural areas.

Lotus-eater

Depends on the size of cesspit and how many people/machines use it. Also (I think I'm right in this) a true cesspit does not get rid of water waste. A septic tank does and needs emptying less often.

Is this your property, or are you looking to buy it, or what?

I suppose the price comes down to the area. If another house the same is on the market in the immediate area and has mains sewerage and yours doesn't, I would think yours would be harder to sell, if it would make much difference to the price I would doubt it.

oldwiring

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Is this your property, or are you looking to buy it, or what?

.

Not mine but I heard of someone, who thought on mains but now that's in doubt, so just curious.

Madmel

We have something which is not a septic tank exactly nor is it a cesspit. The surveyor who looked at it a couple of years ago thought it was the "Rolls Royce" of waste treatment systems. There is a digester which breaks down the waste. The treated liquid is piped off and is discharged.

The system itself is serviced about once every 12 months. They issue us with a certificate which we have to keep for the Environment Agency as we discharge into a stream (clean treated water btw!) It costs about £180 for the service. Then we have the sludge pumped out every 7 or 8 months which costs under £100.

We don't have the choice of mains drainage or septic tank as there is no mains drainage here. There are 4 of us here most of the time, but that rises to up to 10 when there are people in the cottage (holiday lets).

Hope this helps