Septic system in house in Hagerstown

[Ilya Z.]

Good Day Everyone,
I our search for fix-n-flips, we looked at a house in Hagerstown, MD. It's a rancher built around 1950. One thing we forgot to ask the owner about during our visit is the type and condition of their septic system. Now we're trying to estimate how much of a risk it could be. The property looks otherwise very attractive but we're wondering if septic could be a deal-breaker. Questions:
1. Is there such a thing as a typical type of septic systems for houses in that area of that age?
2. How likely is it that the system is still the original? If so, should we then plan to replace/upgrade it? How much would such a job cost?
3. Does it matter how often it was pumped over the years? Would it make sense to ask them for any record of that, similar to how one asks for repair records when buying a used car?
4. If we ask the owners to get it pumped and inspected, how much would that cost?
5. Anything else septic-related we should think of before putting an offer in?
Thank you!

[Seth Ferguson]

There is nothing wrong with a septic system that's working well. A system that's working well does not need constant pumping. As the buyer, you'll want to have it inspected by someone you hire, not by someone the seller has paid. There are some solid companies that use cameras to do a very thorough inspection.