"Still, maintenance isn't always cheap...pump went out last year—ouch."
Yeah, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm worried about as a first-time buyer. I've been looking at some land parcels lately, mostly because prices seem more reasonable if you're willing to wait on building. But the whole well thing has me hesitating a bit. I mean, independence sounds great, but I'm trying to crunch numbers and figure out if the upfront cost and ongoing maintenance really balance out in the long run.
Did you find that the appraisal bump at least covered some of your initial drilling costs, or was it more of a nice-to-have bonus? I know you said it wasn't massive, but I'm curious if it felt worth it overall. Also, did you have any other unexpected maintenance issues besides the pump? I've heard some stories about water quality testing and filtration systems adding up over time too...
Honestly, I'm leaning toward buying land and just sitting on it for a few years, but I don't want to overlook hidden costs or headaches down the road. Seems like there's always something you don't think about until you're already knee-deep in it, right?
Honestly, if you're just planning to sit on the land for a few years, drilling a well upfront might not be the best move financially. Appraisal bumps are usually modest—more of a "nice-to-have" than a real offset. Plus, maintenance surprises like
can really eat into your budget. I'd probably hold off until you're closer to actually building..."pump went out last year—ouch."
Totally agree with you on this one. When we bought our land, we thought about drilling early too, but after talking to neighbors who had issues like
we decided to wait. Honestly, it was a relief not having that extra worry or expense hanging over us. You're smart to hold off until you're actually ready to build... it'll save you headaches (and cash) down the road."pump went out last year—ouch."
Curious if anyone's looked into temporary water solutions instead of drilling right away? I know some folks who've done rainwater catchment or hauled water short-term...might be worth considering to avoid pump issues until you're ready.
We actually did something similar when we bought our property a few years back. Initially, we thought we'd drill right away, but after talking to neighbors who had issues with their wells drying up or pumps failing prematurely, we decided to hold off. Instead, we went with a temporary water hauling setup—basically a big tank on a trailer that we'd fill up in town every couple weeks. It wasn't glamorous, but it worked surprisingly well for the first year or so.
Funny story though...one weekend we had family visiting, and of course, that's when we ran out of water. Nothing like having your in-laws around when you're scrambling to refill the tank! After that little adventure, we got smarter about tracking our usage and planning ahead.
Rainwater catchment sounds interesting too, but I wonder how reliable it is if you're in an area with unpredictable rainfall? Our summers can get pretty dry, so I'm not sure we'd have enough storage capacity to make it worthwhile. Has anyone here tried rainwater catchment in a drier climate? Curious how it worked out long-term.
