Buying house - Septic Tank No Access.

[AndyBerrick84]

Hello

I’m reaching out to see if anyone has been in a similar situation or could provide some general advice regarding a property we’re looking to purchase.

We are currently in the process of buying a charming terraced house and have come across a challenge involving an old septic tank located in the back garden, which appears to have been constructed in the 1960s using concrete blocks. While we are not overly concerned about the functionality of the tank itself, we have encountered a significant issue: there is no direct access to the tank should it require replacement.

With two adjoining neighbors, it is unfeasible to bring in machinery from the sides. The only potential access point would be from the rear of our garden, which adjoins another neighbor's property; this would necessitate their approval and is likely to cause disruption to their garden. Furthermore, replacing the tank could incur expenses exceeding £20,000, particularly as we would need to employ a crane for the task. Unfortunately, connecting to the mains sewage system is not a viable option for us.

We have requested that the seller arrange for a structural survey of the tank to evaluate its current condition and ensure compliance with local regulations. While this may offer some degree of reassurance, we remain concerned about the possibility of the tank failing during our planned ten-year residency.

Should the survey reveal that the tank is non-compliant or shows indications of deterioration, would it be justifiable to request that the vendor replace the tank with a more contemporary system? Alternatively, do you believe it would be prudent for us to reconsider proceeding with this acquisition, given the access limitations to the tank?

I really appreciate any insights or experiences you could share regarding this matter.

Thank you for your help!

How long has the tank been operating for?? I thought they were good as long as emptied regularly. My parents are not on main sewage and there tank is the original one, 40 years old

Unless this house is a screaming bargain, I'd move on to another. The tank may be fine now, but falling apart in a few years. And if it's problematic now, the seller will have the same problems replacing it that you would have once you own it.

We think it beens operating from the 60's, so at least 60- years.

If the access is difficult how has it been emptied???

I’d never have a house with a septic tank. They can be a real pain in the ass. The one at my childhood home was. How can you get someone in to empty it if necessary if there’s no direct access?

There's a shared access/walk through that the neighbours use - that's how it's emptied. But not big enough to get a digger through

My question, too. My mum's septic tank gets emptied on a schedule by a big truck with a giant, noisy hose that they feed round the side of her house and down the garden.

You need to find out how this is organised and who pays for both emptying and servicing.

You will find that once the house is sold, you get a visit from the EA. My tank was fine if I wasn't moving but would have to be replaced within 12 months by the new owner. New laws. However my tank was plastic and so was replaced with another plastic one. It cost me £7k. Maybe replacing with a plastic tank that probably a few strong blokes could carry is a possibility.

Yes, a hose if fed down the shared access walkway into the garden. She pays around £300 a year to have it emptied.

Op makes you wonder how it got there in the first place.....🤔🤔

It's digging hole deep enough to put any new one is that is the issue. No quite doble by hand

]a hose if fed down the shared access walkway into the garden. She pays around £300 a year to have it emptied.

Definitely get the tank surveyed. Our old house had a brick-built septic tank that was still functioning perfectly 90 years after it was built so it might not be a problem for you at all. Once you have some more information you'll be in a better position to make a decision.

The tank will be non-compliant, as none are compliant now. You would need to factor in a sewage treatment plant at some point at a cost of £12-15k. In fact, I don't think they will be allowed to sell with a non compliant system without having plans to replace, so the cost of replacing it should be factored in by you and them.

Everyone has tanks round us. We have a Klargester that digests and then releases water into the ditch (with a license).

anyone that buys the house will need to change the tank! That sounds prehistoric. Get a couple of proper quotes to crane a modern ‘domestic sewage’ (they don’t have septic tanks new) in, then decide- or get vendors to do it as th et won’t sell the house without people knowing the ££

Sorry, quoted wrong post.

We pulled out of a house purchase with a similar situation. Connection to mains sewage wasn't possible because the house backed onto someone else's garden and then a steep cliff face of about 100 feet to the street below, and, in front of the house, a cobbled, communally-owned parking area which would have required the permission of everyone in the terrace, and them finding somewhere else to park their cars while the work was carried out -- AND permission to take up and relay the cobbles as it was in a conservation area. We decided it was just too much.

There's a row of five cottages in total. It appears they were installed around the same time, likely before the land was sold to the current neighbors, which has now obstructed yhr access to them.

We’ve consulted with solicitors to explore the possibility of any easement that might grant us access, but unfortunately, we haven’t found anything in the title deeds or records so far.

I wouldn’t t touch that house, sounds like too much trouble.

No easement? I would leave it - there are other houses.

We 90% sure we are going to pull out...just waiting for the report

A house near us has a tank that is emptied with a long hose along a path like yours. Worked ok until Council decided it was a health and safety problem. They now need to apply for permission to have the pipe on the path every time.

How wide is the pathway that's used when getting it emptied?

We recently had a sewerage treatment plant put in and a mini digger was able to use our narrow pathway to access our garden. You can get ones that measure only 72cm wide.

You could probably crane a mini digger in with no problems. Our side gate is just wider than an adult bike handlebars - but big enough for a mini digger.

In fact, with precaution, you might be able to get a mini digger through the house?

Yes, we do this regularly with odd locations