What you should know about country living.

Wells And Water Supply.

If you are contemplating buying a cottage, one of the questions you should ask is about the water supply for your cottage/home. Many of the more permanent homes and cottages have their own well. Usually (and preferably) a drilled well.. Well water is often better than “city” water. Sometimes sediments, too much iron and/or sulfur are removed via a filter system, which you can buy or rent. With a dug well, you may need one of these systems more likely than with a drilled well because a dug well relies mostly on ground or run-off water supply.

Many cottages get their water from the lake or river they are on. This is perfectly acceptable for laundry, washing-up and bathing. They then bring in their drinking and cooking water from a grocery store or from one of the many spontaneous wells in the area where the cottage is located (one famous “community well is on highway 36 at the corner of Tates Bay Rd.)

To protect prospective buyers, we, at Sevink Real Estate, nearly always include a clause in a Offer to Purchase that the well water must be tested prior to closing (and we often do this on behalf of the buyer) and that the vendor warrants that the well produced sufficient water for normal household use. Better be sure than sorry..

What About Septic Systems? || TOP

Most rural homes and cottages have a proper septic system, which processes water and toilet waste safely. The septic system usually consists of a concrete tank which is divided into two by means of a concrete baffle or wall, which is lower than the tank itself. Waste from the house is collected in the one half of the tank(that is connected to the dwelling) and by means of bacterial action, most of the solids are converted to liquids. When the one side of the tank is full, the liquids spill over into the second half of the tank, which is connected to a series of tubes or drain tiles that are spread out through trenches on the lot. These drain tubes allow the spilled over liquid to dissipate through the soil. With regular maintenance (use of bacterial chemicals and pumping of the tanks every 3 to5 years) these system are very effective, very low cost and very easy to maintain. A pump-out costs anywhere from $80 - $120, depending on where your property is located.

In some areas, near water courses, near wells or in very rocky areas, the local health authority may forbid the use of drainage or seepage beds and the septic tank will not be connected to drainage tiles. These system, or holding tanks, need to be pumped more frequently, depending on the amount of use of the toilets, laundry tubs and kitchen sinks etc. Older systems used to use metal tanks, which over time are subject to rusting out, thus becoming inefficient and dangerous to the environment.

In order to protect prospective customers from the hazards of septic systems, and the make sure the system in question is in good operating condition, we, as a matter of course, use several clauses in our Offers to Purchase on behalf of our clients.

What You Should Know About Zoning. || TOP

Zoning of a property usually describes the kind of uses the property may be used for. In case of rural/recreational properties, the zoning may affect your ability to secure mortgage financing. The zoning designations vary county by county. In many “cottage country” areas, a predominant zoning is “RR” standing for residential/recreational or rural recreational.

If you encounter this type of zoning and one of the following conditions is present, you may not be able to secure financing from your city bank.

1. There is no well
2. There is no proper septic system
3. The property is not winterized
4. There is no “locate survey” ( a survey that shows the property and all buildings on it)
5. The cottage is built on piers

Local financial institutions, who are familiar with rural properties, will often arrange for mortgages when a city branch of the same institution might turn the application down. Rezoning: When rezoning is required, either by the mortgagee or by the purchaser’s demand the cost of rezoning varies from township to township. In the Galway-Cavendish-Harvey township, the application must be accompanied by a payment of $400.00. The township office employees are only too willing to assist you in filling out the necessary forms. Rezoning requires a time period of approximately 60 to 90 days.

At Sevink Real Estate, we are familiar with these situations and you can count on our expertise to protect you from the pitfalls of home or cottage buying. We’re here to help you find what you are looking for, at the price you can afford.

Lawyers And Legal Costs. || TOP

Like dealing through a reputable REALTOR, we also recommend that you engage a good law firm to look after your interest, whether buying or selling. But, as is the case with mortgage financing, we strongly recommend that you use a law firm that is familiar with the intricacies of local property descriptions, local authorities, county bylaws and regulations and the local land registry offices . Legal costs for the purchaser, depending on the amount of work involved and the purchase price, starts at around $1400.00, which includes land transfer tax and various standard charges, registration fees and out of pocket costs.

For a vendor, the costs runs anywhere from $450.00 and up. We’ll be happy to help you select a law firm for your transaction.

We hope that this information can take some of the mysteries out of purchasing a home or vacation property and we would be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

TOP