buying a property near small sewage works

[vintagetat]

I have been to look at a house which has a small sewage works at the end of the road which services the 6 properties on that part of the road. When we went today we didn't notice any smell. I am concerned about the resale of it and what it might do to the value.
I spoke to the neighbour who said that it was a very rare thing that they noticed any odour.
Does anyone have any experience to share?

[KingTut]

You posted the same thread more than once op.

Your neighbour is correct about the smell. Remember any buyer when you sell will have the same reservations.

[vintagetat]

Oh bother. My computer had a little wibble!! This is what bothers me the most, what happens when we want to sell it.......

[vintagetat]

Anyone else have anything to add? I have been again today and can't notice any smells....

[shovetheholly]

I used to live just down the road from a small sewage works as a student. The smell wasn't actually too bad at all - you got the occasional whiff with the wind in the right direction on the odd day, but that was it. It was the swarms of tiny, tiny flies in summer that were a pain in the neck.

However, this was a works for a whole village, not just a few houses, so yours might not be such an issue.

Obviously, people will have reservations about buying a place near a sewage plant. However, that should be reflected in the price, right? And I would say a sewage works is probably less smelly/dirty/disruptive than, say, living down the road from one of those old-fashioned garages that fixes cars.

[PlainHunting]

We rejected a property near to a sewage works as we were worried (rightly or wrongly) about rats.

[Artistic]

We offered & then retracted offer on a property close to a large sewage works. People swore no smell at all, but one day when incidentally in the area the smell made my stomach turn. I couldn't imagine living in constant fear of that smell even if it were to occur very rarely (thinking of the worst with a day when I have guests over!). Insects are another thing to consider and also potential expansion plans of the plant. What if it were to increase in capacity if there are new developments build nearby?
If you have a choice then avoid. If not then offer suitably less so that you have less to worry about when selling up.

[vintagetat]

Yes, the price is definitely lower but because its in a sought after rural village the other houses still seem to have sold for a decent price, obviously less though than if it wasn't there.

[ElleDubloo]

I wouldn't buy it. A sewage works would put me off more than almost anything else.

[HelenF350]

Having worked in a sewage works for 3 years I wouldn't buy it.

[780539gjg]

If it only serves 6 houses, surely it's more like a large septic tank than a sewage works? I owned a house several years ago in a rural area, with a small sewage treatment plant serving only 10 or so houses. There were no problems with smells and it was a desirable area with no resale issues. I would do a bit more research into what it actually is. Plenty of rural properties have septic tanks or similar and these do not cause problems.

[RCheshire]

Agree with pp. This is a tiny sewage treatment of a scale that would often be found on someone's land/garden in rural locations. It can't be extended and is a completely different proposition to a works serving a large housing development or a town. No issue for me whatsoever - many houses have stw or septic tanks.

[CrispyFB]

We had a house a few miles away from a major sewage works. Most days no problems, but there were probably about 20 or so days a year when the place just STANK and that was from a few miles away.

I'd far rather buy near a small sewage farm as you describe than a few miles from a massive one!

[vintagetat]

I think it is more like a communal septic tank, I have been again today now it is a bit warmer and taken my mother who has a keen nose and neither of us can smell anything.
I was really freaked out to begin with but then husband pointed out another house we were looking at had a cess pit at the bottom of the garden