The nightmare of a house purchase with a septic tank

Statex2_2

Purchasing a house in Norfolk with a septic tank. There are other faults with the house but the seller refuses to reduce the price. I estimate that £50k needs spending on the property. The price was reasonable but that was due to the poor decorative order of the propery, which was due to a leaking roof which has been fixed. The additional issue is regarding the septic tank which may not comply to current rules. When I asked him if it complied he just shrugged his shoulders and said he amptied once a year. I asked further questions about a drainage field or soakaway he saidhe did not know what sort of system it had. \he said he purchased the house in 2020 and he is not responsible.
I have checked the general binding rules and they state that te present operator has to pass on to the new operator(owner) details of the system and its maintenance requirements.

I considered an upgrade to a treatment plant but including fitting could cost £12k plus vat. I also considered reed beds again approximately £10k plus. I considered connection to a main sewer, there is one over 200 feet from the house but even all the permits and legal requirements are several thousand pounds plus the cost of the work.

There is a third option  there is sewer connection on the property but it serves the neighbouring house which is a converted barn, which was owned by the previous owner of the one I am buying, converted and sold off. The drain pipe obviously runs up to my intending purchase and then goes at 90 degrees to the neighbouring property. The reason this is obvious is that there is a manhole/inspection chamber 2 metres in front of the intending purchse. When questioned about the septic tank the owners just states that he was going to connect to that manhole. I raised this issue with the agent and was fobbed off until I insisted they answere my question of "does he have the legal right to connect to the existing drain" the answere came back that he does not know. I asked who owned it he does not know, all he knows about it is that he has to grant them access for maintenence.

What makes this an even gteater problem is that the house is 5 metres at its closes point to a small stream or brook, handy for watering the garden as you are allowed to extract 20m cu metres per day without a licence but is a headache when dealing with the septic tank.

Has anyone any ideas ? I would be grateful for any suggestions as we really like the house and its location. I know I should really walk away.

Statex2_2

Error!!!!!

billyboy

You would need to get a full survey done in order to find out what is correct and what the faults are with this property. However, if the owner will not reduce the price in any circumstances it may be money wasted. Drainage problems  can be expensive to sort out and remember if you want to sell the house at a later date the buyer will raise the same concerns.  I would walk away unless i was desperate for this house and got a reduction in price to offset the cost of putting things right. Why give yourself the extra worry this would cause you.

ProDave

You need to contact your water company to see if they will allow you to connect into the pipe serving the barn.  If it is a public sewer the answer should be yes and the cost not very much.  but it may be a private pipe and you may not be allowed to connect to it.

If you have a stream and you are fitting a new system then a treatment plant discharging to the stream would be my choice (actually it is that is exactly what we have)  the output from a treatment plant is clean enough to discharge to a watercourse providing water flows all year (no good if it dries up in summer).  It is by far the cheapest way to install one and no drainage field to lay or maintain.

Unless there are issues with waterlogged ground or puddles of smelly water in your garden, the existing septic tank is probably okay to carry on using.  UNLESS you find it illegally discharges into the stream.  That is the big NO with septic tanks.  Turn on several taps in the house and leave them running for a while then take a walk along the stream and see if you can see (or smell) anything discharging into the stream.

dimbo61

So the septic tank and drainage system  are not up to date.
I would also guess the electrics are not up to date ?
Heating system  ? Old and out dated ?
Log burner or open fire ?
Oil fired central heating or Gas ?
Old houses need more maintenance 

SDLT_Geek

There are two additional "general binding rules" to apply from 2 October 2023.  There is guidance on the rules here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/small-sewage-discharges-in-england-the-general-binding-rules 

Section62

Statex2_2 said:

There is a third option  there is sewer connection on the property but it serves the neighbouring house which is a converted barn, which was owned by the previous owner of the one I am buying, converted and sold off. The drain pipe obviously runs up to my intending purchase and then goes at 90 degrees to the neighbouring property. The reason this is obvious is that there is a manhole/inspection chamber 2 metres in front of the intending purchse. When questioned about the septic tank the owners just states that he was going to connect to that manhole. I raised this issue with the agent and was fobbed off until I insisted they answere my question of "does he have the legal right to connect to the existing drain" the answere came back that he does not know. I asked who owned it he does not know, all he knows about it is that he has to grant them access for maintenence.

Is the "on the property" literal, as in the pipe and/or manhole is situated on land you would own if you purchased the property?

If so, you need to find out what agreement was made with the neighbouring property owner which allowed the pipe to be there.

People don't normally allow someone else to construct a foul drain across their land without getting something in return, and the most logical return in this case would have been for the developer to give this property owner the right to connect to the drain once completed.

The date it was constructed is also important.  If built before 1 July 2011 then the neighbours drain may now be a public sewer, by virtue of being located under land belonging to others.  You'd need to get that confirmed by the sewerage undertaker if it is a possibility.

If he has to grant them access for maintenance then there should be something in this property's deeds, and also in the neighbouring property's deeds.  This is something your solicitor ought to be looking at and advising on....

GDB2222

Umm, why are you considering buying this? 

youth_leader

I sold in 2020 and had to complete a very long questionnaire about my septic tank for the buyer, I'm sorry your vendor is being so unco-operative. 

youth_leader

I've found the enquiries sheet I had to complete, I've pm'd you.  Your vendor should also have had one from his vendor when he purchased.

propertyrental

This is really not as dire as you make out, unless you are strapped for cash.

 * if you are strapped for cash, then walk away because you say there are other issues with the property as well as the septic tank, so whatever happens you are going to have to spend money.

* if the seller refuses to reduce the price, or answer questions, you have 3 choices: 1) walk away 2) get proper sewerage survey done eg here 3) just budget for upgrades to house and sewage system

* more info needed regarding the barn's pipeline. Rights over your land? Access for maintenance? Documented where? Exact wording (please quote). Chances are you can connect to this and if it goes to mains sewage - ideal

* next best option is your own connection to mains sewage. Speak to relevant water company

* if upgrading your system, forget reed beds (users have died maintaining them. Literally). Forget new septic tank/drainage field -  cost of the combination will equal (exceed?) the last option. Install small sewage Treatment plant. Environmentally sound, easy to maintain, discharge legally into the stream (no drainage field needed). But yes, upfront cost.