By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, CIR Realty, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary
Week 3 of 10
Steam rises off the first pour of coffee as the pump kicks on—faint hum, steady pressure, a normal winter morning in the foothills. That little sound says a lot to buyers walking your acreage: water is reliable here, even in January, and the essentials are looked after.
Homesteads in this corridor were placed by springs and hand-dug wells; today’s buyers expect a drilled well with recent clean tests and a septic system that’s documented and behaving. Meeting that standard upfront is what prevents “failed conditions.”
Seller priorities, handled before Day 1
1) Pricing signals. Consistent well yield and clean potability history push offers up; uncertainty pulls them down. Septic type and age matter too: a newer field/mound with receipts is a premium; an unknown system invites a deduction sized to replacement risk.
2) Buyer education. We explain treatment options plainly—UV for bacteria, softening for hardness/iron, cartridge filters for sediment, RO at the tap if wanted—so expectations match reality.
3) Paperwork ready. We pull the well log, a recent bacteriological test (and chemistry if it’s dated), plus septic permits and maintenance notes, and place them in a simple “Water & Waste” file buyers and underwriters can trust.
What buyers check on site
Storage & flow: Is there a cistern or pressure tank sized right? Can the well deliver a reasonable gpm on a flow test?
Winter access: Are well and septic lids exposed and safe to access in snow?
Maintenance reality: When were pump, UV lamp, and filters last changed? What’s the pump-out cadence?
Clarity: A one-page diagram of the treatment train (e.g., sediment → softener → UV) reduces questions and speeds up conditions.
Myth: “If water tastes fine, the paperwork doesn’t matter.”
Reality: Lenders and buyers remove conditions on evidence, not taste. A clean, complete file keeps your deal together.
Thinking of selling? Book a low-pressure Seller Prep Call and I’ll send my free one-page Well & Septic Checklist—plus a tailored plan to get your file market-ready.
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#AlbertaAcreages #FoothillsRealEstate #CochraneAB #WaterValley #Sundre #AcreageLife #RuralSellerTips #WellAndSeptic
Rory Hale, CIR Realty | 403-585-6552 | rhale@cirrealty.ca | roryhale.com
