Please help this city dweller: what do well water and on site septic mean?

[Anonymous]

I have only ever lived in cities and close-in planned communities. I'm looking at a exurb/country place on Redfin right now that has "well water" in the listing. Also "on site septic". What does this entail compared to my urban place with water and sewer that are integrated into the city systems?

Also, it's 5 acres (with stable, horse allowed!). Horse aside - my daughter will go nuts - is that much land manageable for a regular family? On large exurb plots like this, I suppose people outsource the mowing and shrubbery maintenance? How much does it cost?

Any other questions I should be asking myself, regarding moving to somewhere more rural? I've considered commute and schools.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think this id the place for you. No water if power goes out (you should have the water tested) how is the pump, water filtration systems issues with water supply.

Septic system lots of different types. Just make sure that it not only is working but that you aren’t subject to mandatory replacement when you buy the house. Some jurisdictions require this.

[Anonymous]

It means that your water will come from a well that is drilled on the property. You'll want to make sure that it is drilled to a depth that hits a significant aquifer, and that there aren't any concerns about that aquifer running dry. You also may need to treat your water if it is hard, and have fluoride treatments on your teeth by your dentist (because there won't be any fluoride in your water). And you won't be able to access water when the power goes out.

Instead of your waste going to a sewer, it will go into a septic tank, which you'll have to have emptied periodically. You won't have a garbage disposal.

I don't think either is a big deal, but I grew up with both.

Get a riding mower, and put your kids to work. It was my chore to cut 3 acres starting in about 4th grade. I started with a weed wacker in about 7th.

[Anonymous]

No big deal at all. Have it all inspected and tested before sale, which is routine. Have the tank pumped once a year, again routine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have only ever lived in cities and close-in planned communities. I'm looking at a exurb/country place on Redfin right now that has "well water" in the listing. Also "on site septic". What does this entail compared to my urban place with water and sewer that are integrated into the city systems?

Also, it's 5 acres (with stable, horse allowed!). Horse aside - my daughter will go nuts - is that much land manageable for a regular family? On large exurb plots like this, I suppose people outsource the mowing and shrubbery maintenance? How much does it cost?

Any other questions I should be asking myself, regarding moving to somewhere more rural? I've considered commute and schools.

It means more land, longer commute, more things to fix but for less upfront cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have only ever lived in cities and close-in planned communities. I'm looking at a exurb/country place on Redfin right now that has "well water" in the listing. Also "on site septic". What does this entail compared to my urban place with water and sewer that are integrated into the city systems?

Also, it's 5 acres (with stable, horse allowed!). Horse aside - my daughter will go nuts - is that much land manageable for a regular family? On large exurb plots like this, I suppose people outsource the mowing and shrubbery maintenance? How much does it cost?

Any other questions I should be asking myself, regarding moving to somewhere more rural? I've considered commute and schools.

It means more land, longer commute, more things to fix but for less upfront cost.

How many kids do you have and is it a neighborhood with an HOA or private road?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have only ever lived in cities and close-in planned communities. I'm looking at a exurb/country place on Redfin right now that has "well water" in the listing. Also "on site septic". What does this entail compared to my urban place with water and sewer that are integrated into the city systems?

Also, it's 5 acres (with stable, horse allowed!). Horse aside - my daughter will go nuts - is that much land manageable for a regular family? On large exurb plots like this, I suppose people outsource the mowing and shrubbery maintenance? How much does it cost?

Any other questions I should be asking myself, regarding moving to somewhere more rural? I've considered commute and schools.

It means more land, longer commute, more things to fix but for less upfront cost.

How many kids do you have and is it a neighborhood with an HOA or private road?

OP here. 2 teens, one in college already, no HOA, no private road, but a cul de sac. All the properties are 5 acres min. Some restricted farming allowed, but I don't think the properties close to the one on sale do any of that (maybe a hen coop, but hard to tell).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have only ever lived in cities and close-in planned communities. I'm looking at a exurb/country place on Redfin right now that has "well water" in the listing. Also "on site septic". What does this entail compared to my urban place with water and sewer that are integrated into the city systems?

Also, it's 5 acres (with stable, horse allowed!). Horse aside - my daughter will go nuts - is that much land manageable for a regular family? On large exurb plots like this, I suppose people outsource the mowing and shrubbery maintenance? How much does it cost?

Any other questions I should be asking myself, regarding moving to somewhere more rural? I've considered commute and schools.

It means more land, longer commute, more things to fix but for less upfront cost.

How many kids do you have and is it a neighborhood with an HOA or private road?

OP here. 2 teens, one in college already, no HOA, no private road, but a cul de sac. All the properties are 5 acres min. Some restricted farming allowed, but I don't think the properties close to the one on sale do any of that (maybe a hen coop, but hard to tell).

Sounds great! Buy a big tractor and mow it yourself or pay your kids/ neighbor’s kid $50.

[Anonymous]

OP, our first house was well/septic (but smack dab in Fairfax) on 5 acres. Others have covered the basics. IF you have gas, put in a whole house generator. It's not particularly expensive, and will help if your power goes out. I love the water in that house. It tastes so good (which I realize is an odd thing to say about water). Our current house is also 5 acres, but has county water/sewer. I miss the water in the old house.

The septic is generally not an issue. You usually have a valve that needs to be turned to switch drainfields, once a year.

As for yard maintenance, it is what you make of it. At both houses, we only have about an acre of mostly cleared space that requires maintenance. The rest is all woods. Which is awesome, because there is also a ton of wildlife, and makes for excellent bird watching. If all you have is cleared space, I would recommend finding someone to help you re-wild it. Longer term, it's better for the environment, you will enjoy a wider variety of wildlife, and it is considerably less maintenance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have only ever lived in cities and close-in planned communities. I'm looking at a exurb/country place on Redfin right now that has "well water" in the listing. Also "on site septic". What does this entail compared to my urban place with water and sewer that are integrated into the city systems?

Also, it's 5 acres (with stable, horse allowed!). Horse aside - my daughter will go nuts - is that much land manageable for a regular family? On large exurb plots like this, I suppose people outsource the mowing and shrubbery maintenance? How much does it cost?

Any other questions I should be asking myself, regarding moving to somewhere more rural? I've considered commute and schools.

It means more land, longer commute, more things to fix but for less upfront cost.

How many kids do you have and is it a neighborhood with an HOA or private road?

OP here. 2 teens, one in college already, no HOA, no private road, but a cul de sac. All the properties are 5 acres min. Some restricted farming allowed, but I don't think the properties close to the one on sale do any of that (maybe a hen coop, but hard to tell).

Check the zoning for the properties and research nearby areas that had the same zoning but recently changed. Don't just look at maps- read recent zoning commission/county meeting records and really dig into what the area is like. You need to preview whether or not your area is vulnerable to rezoning/development of the kind that could put 20 suburban houses on the lot next to you.

No HOA is a blessing and a curse. You'll have the freedom to do what you want, but you don't have protection from the adjacent homeowner who's tidy now but sells to the guy whose cup is filled with a sideboard of broken-down school buses and 6 random outbuildings.

Finally, you'll need a generator for the well or you'll need to be cool with not having water during major power outages and storms. I lived in a rental in Maine with a well and we lost water for a couple of days every summer due to thunderstorms and a couple of days every winter due to blizzards.

For septic, check the size of the current system and see when it was last maintained. Budget with the assumption that it has not been taken care of. If your septic is undersized, you'll have to plan the timing of things like laundry, running the dishwasher, etc. You'll need to be careful during holidays if you're the type to have 20 guests. A septic failure isn't the end of the world, but it's gross and an expensive hassle to redo it. You also aren't going to be interacting with the part of your yard where the septic is, so you want to make sure it's not somewhere where you imagined building a gazebo or a barn or something.

[Anonymous]

5 acres is a lot. If it backs into woods or maintained properties, or includes its own woods, you'll need to think about the cost of maintaining trees.

Depending on where this is, you also need to be thoughtful about trespassers, securing the property, and how you'll manage your land during hunting season. 2 acres is small enough that you can pretty much see everything all of the time. With 5 acres, you have to be deliberate about walking your property.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It means that your water will come from a well that is drilled on the property. You'll want to make sure that it is drilled to a depth that hits a significant aquifer, and that there aren't any concerns about that aquifer running dry. You also may need to treat your water if it is hard, and have fluoride treatments on your teeth by your dentist (because there won't be any fluoride in your water). And you won't be able to access water when the power goes out.

Instead of your waste going to a sewer, it will go into a septic tank, which you'll have to have emptied periodically. You won't have a garbage disposal.

I don't think either is a big deal, but I grew up with both.

Get a riding mower, and put your kids to work. It was my chore to cut 3 acres starting in about 4th grade. I started with a weed wacker in about 7th.

This, except we have a garbage disposal.
Well & septic are non issues, low maintenance.
Love neighbors aren't too close, and no one walking up our long driveway to vandalize our cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It means that your water will come from a well that is drilled on the property. You'll want to make sure that it is drilled to a depth that hits a significant aquifer, and that there aren't any concerns about that aquifer running dry. You also may need to treat your water if it is hard, and have fluoride treatments on your teeth by your dentist (because there won't be any fluoride in your water). And you won't be able to access water when the power goes out.

Instead of your waste going to a sewer, it will go into a septic tank, which you'll have to have emptied periodically. You won't have a garbage disposal.

I don't think either is a big deal, but I grew up with both.

Get a riding mower, and put your kids to work. It was my chore to cut 3 acres starting in about 4th grade. I started with a weed wacker in about 7th.

This, except we have a garbage disposal.
Well & septic are non issues, low maintenance.
Love neighbors aren't too close, and no one walking up our long driveway to vandalize our cars.

This is true.

And also, some weird advice in this thread.

5 acres isn’t that big.

Switching drain fields is a thing on a specific type of system that is uncommon.

You don’t need to do anything to “maintain” trees if part of your land is in woods. (Source: I own a property with 13 acres of woods, also the Washington and Jefferson Forests are hundreds of thousands of acres… I don’t think there’s an army of forest gnomes fertilizing and trimming the trees, but maybe I’m wrong)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It means that your water will come from a well that is drilled on the property. You'll want to make sure that it is drilled to a depth that hits a significant aquifer, and that there aren't any concerns about that aquifer running dry. You also may need to treat your water if it is hard, and have fluoride treatments on your teeth by your dentist (because there won't be any fluoride in your water). And you won't be able to access water when the power goes out.

Instead of your waste going to a sewer, it will go into a septic tank, which you'll have to have emptied periodically. You won't have a garbage disposal.

I don't think either is a big deal, but I grew up with both.

Get a riding mower, and put your kids to work. It was my chore to cut 3 acres starting in about 4th grade. I started with a weed wacker in about 7th.

This, except we have a garbage disposal.
Well & septic are non issues, low maintenance.
Love neighbors aren't too close, and no one walking up our long driveway to vandalize our cars.

This is true.

And also, some weird advice in this thread.

5 acres isn’t that big.

Switching drain fields is a thing on a specific type of system that is uncommon.

You don’t need to do anything to “maintain” trees if part of your land is in woods. (Source: I own a property with 13 acres of woods, also the Washington and Jefferson Forests are hundreds of thousands of acres… I don’t think there’s an army of forest gnomes fertilizing and trimming the trees, but maybe I’m wrong)

Also, you’ll want a small tractor, not even a medium sized one. You can easily get by with no tractor, but if you want one, probably no need to go bigger than 25hp.

No one is going to hunt on your 5 acres.

You definitely want a generator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As for yard maintenance, it is what you make of it. At both houses, we only have about an acre of mostly cleared space that requires maintenance. The rest is all woods. Which is awesome, because there is also a ton of wildlife, and makes for excellent bird watching. If all you have is cleared space, I would recommend finding someone to help you re-wild it. Longer term, it's better for the environment, you will enjoy a wider variety of wildlife, and it is considerably less maintenance.

This is great advice. Figure out what part of the lot you actually want for "yard" and keep that mowed. In the rest, enjoy birds, deer, fox, etc. When we re-wilded, we created intentional paths and now we take walks through parts of the yard that used to be unremarkable and enjoy spotting flowers/shrubs, bird nests, and more. An added benefit is how much you can really *feel* the seasons by doing this. Even early spring, mid spring, and late spring all have really different plants, birds, and animals.