You say you are okay with a fixer?
Ah, the allure of acreage property in the mid-valley: wide-open spaces, fresh air, and a dreamy spot to call your own. But let’s be real—it’s not all sunshine and scenic views. When our client (we’ll call her Sarah) fell in love with a “charming” fixer-upper, we knew from the get-go this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. The house practically screamed “WTF” from the moment we set foot on the property as it was apparent there were a lot of DIY fixes. It was clear the owners did not use YouTube for DIY help ’cause I have to tell you, it would have been a significant improvement over the attempts they made to repair things as they went along.
Before Sarah could roll up her sleeves and start demo day, we encouraged her to do her due diligence, starting with a home inspection and a septic scope. Spoiler alert: she dodged a financial meteor on this one.
Let’s talk about the septic system. The inspector quickly discovered that it was a DIY special, done without permits and winding its way under three massive trees. The septic line was not only collapsing and separated in multiple places, but would need to be replaced soon. Due to the proximity to the creek fixing this wouldn’t just be expensive—it would be a tens of thousands dollar ordeal involving new designs, and permits. So much for fixing the home.
She had visions of sipping morning coffee on her future porch, and walking back to the creek, not navigating government regulations for a new waste system. But here’s the silver lining: because we caught the issue early, Sarah could make an informed decision about whether to negotiate repairs, lower the price, or walk away entirely. She chose to terminate.
In a twist to the story, there was a backup buyer who did end up buying the property. As per the contract, we gave copies of the written reports to the listing agent, but the listing agent refused to take the septic line video. The listing agent gave Sarah’s inspection reports to the backup buyer who chose not to do their own inspections. That buyer didn’t do her due diligence on the property and had immediate backup issues with the septic system. She was surprised when she called the contractor who had done the septic inspection, and they told her the system was only going to be a problem until it was replaced. $$$$ are in that buyer’s future.
So, if you’re considering a home purchase, don’t skip the inspections. Because while dreams are priceless, bad septic systems? Not so much.