Bob Santucci | Country Property Specialist

Here are some things to consider when purchasing country property. One of the first things to do is to go to the County of Sonoma office and check on the history of the property. Does what is on record match with what is actually at the subject property. Is the number of buildings and size a match to what is being sold.  Are all of the permits there and executed. Make copies of all the information that you can such as building permits, well information and septic system information.

Boundaries, One big difference between country property and residential is clarity of property lines. In residential it is fairly clear where the property lines are at. In country property it is much more difficult and if there are any disputes now is the time to remedy them. Some of these properties may not have been sold for decades. There may have been some good neighbor deals over the years  that you do not like. You may even find that a neighbor built a barn that is right on the property line and the line needs to be adjusted.

Wells, If you are in the country you will probably rely on a well as your source of water. Have it tested for volume and purity. In Sonoma County there four types of water zones. Area one is in the valley’s and is the most abundant. Area four is the water scarce zone and can be found anywhere. Your local well company will know these areas and can tell you exactly what you need to be assured that you will not have water issues in the future. If you really love a place and it is in an area four zone now is the time to decide if you want to endure he joys of living with very little water.

Septic, If you are going to live in the then you will be on a private waste system AKA a septic tank. Part of the purchase process will be to have the septic tank pumped and inspected. The sanitation specialist will do a visual inspection of the leach field as well. The leach field is the part of the system that distributes the treated waste evenly underground. It is a great idea to have enough room adjacent to the leach field that is equal to the size of the existing leach field for expansion. This may be mandated by the County of Sonoma anyway.

Insurance, It is a great idea to check with your insurance agent early on in the process. Some country property may have greater risks than residential properties. The property may be in a high fire danger area or a flood area. There are areas that are prone to slides that need to be identified. A good insurance agent will be able to mitigate any of these issues.

Zoning, Zoning can affect your future uses for the property. If you are planning on developing a horse property now is the time to make sure that the zoning will allow it. What if there is a granny unit on the property and you want to use it as a vacation rental. Now is the time to discover what you can or cannot do with the property.

Bob Santucci is a local Sonoma County Realtor with years of country property experience