Tally ho chaps! - watch out for that septic tank

Most of us do not need to worry about the vagaries of living with a septic tank. If you are however buying a property in the sticks then you had better read on to make sure that you know what you are letting yourself in for.

Using one of these to unblock your pipes is a non starter. What you need is to get down to B&Q and get yourself one of those connecting chimney sweep brushes and an array of attachments that will allow you to unblock your pipes.

The next thing to be aware of is that you need to make sure that your septic tank has been registered with SEPA. This is a legal requirement and if your solicitor has not asked the seller to get this at an early point in the transaction then you can expect a delay in completion. The last time that I requested a certificate SEPA said that they had a turnaround of 28 days. If you are getting a mortgage on the property the lender is likely to insist that this is in place before completion.

And what if you need to get access to the pipes and the outfall which may not be situated on land that you do not own? This is where your solicitor will earn his fee. You need to make sure that you have the necessary rights to use, maintain, repair and replace the pipes relating to the septic tank. The last thing that you want is to have a fight on your hands with the local land owner refusing to allow you on to his land to maintain the septic tank. The rights should be contained within your titles. Make sure that you have the necessary right of access!