Land sloping backwards and future GF

[write2abdul]

Hi Friends,

I'm looking at a property which has a house and land sloping backwards with the attached sewerage diagram.

a) Do you think I would have any issues with the storm water control as I read in few threads that its an issue with land sloping at the back
b) It has side access with a garage and I was wondering if I would have any issues building a GF in the future with the attached sewerage diagram

Thanks in advance

 

[datto]

All you need to know about plumbing is that "sheet" flows downhill and everyday is payday lol.

Look, seriously, I spoke to someone just recently who is in the same situation ie block runs down from the road. Apparently, to get the storm water to the front its all done by hydraulics, no pump necessary. A 10000lt water tank in the backyard collects the water from the gutter and, under that weight, it is forced through pipes to the front (gutter).

He was a bit shy to tell me how much it all cost, however, by just by looking at the amount of excavating and the number of days I saw the plumbers working, my guess is it
wasn't cheap. Always best to buy a property on the high side of the street if you can!

 

[Mr. Fabulous]

What does your future girlfriend have to do with the land sloping backwards?

 

[write2abdul]

Hahaha GF here is Granny flat I was referring too

What does your future girlfriend have to do with the land sloping backwards?

 

[write2abdul]

Thanks datto for your quick reply!

As of now I dont think this property has storm water pit. So I'm assuming the cost involved would be when I build the Granny flat and need to create a new one both for the property and GF?

All you need to know about plumbing is that "sheet" flows downhill and everyday is payday lol.

Look, seriously, I spoke to someone just recently who is in the same situation ie block runs down from the road. Apparently, to get the storm water to the front its all done by hydraulics, no pump necessary. A 10000lt water tank in the backyard collects the water from the gutter and, under that weight, it is forced through pipes to the front (gutter).

He was a bit shy to tell me how much it all cost, however, by just by looking at the amount of excavating and the number of days I saw the plumbers working, my guess is it
wasn't cheap. Always best to buy a property on the high side of the street if you can!

 

[devank]

Generally the storm water is what needs to be taken care of in a back sloping land.
One way to do is collect this water in a retention tank and then pump it to the road. It is a costly exercise.

 

[datto]

As of now I dont think this property has storm water pit. So I'm assuming the cost involved would be when I build the Granny flat and need to create a new one both for the property and GF?

Yes correct, I don't think the council will overlook it.

 

[write2abdul]

Thanks devank!

I'm assuming this is for when I build the Granny flat in the future. Where does the current storm water go if there is no retention tank currently

Generally the storm water is what needs to be taken care of in a back sloping land.
One way to do is collect this water in a retention tank and then pump it to the road. It is a costly exercise.

 

[datto]

Where does the current storm water go if there is no retention tank currently

It runs onto your back neighbour's property. That's him in his backyard shaking his fist at you lol.

 

[write2abdul]

Oh wow! Angry neighbours already

There's a park at the back of the house + a house adjacent to this property. I think the PIT in the attached diagram is in the park. Do you generally have to pump to the road or to the pit(in this case the park)?

It runs onto your back neighbour's property. That's him in his backyard shaking his fist at you lol.

 

[DaveM]

The first thinig to determine is where stormwater from the house goes to currently. If it slopes away from street then it will either have a stormwater connection at rear, or a soakwell/dispersion pit

 

[write2abdul]

I asked the agent the same question and this is the response I got from him

"It is not a common thing for a house sloping backwards to have a drainage easement. The only time you really need the drainage easement is for development where you would put more than one house on the property."

Is this expected?

The first thinig to determine is where stormwater from the house goes to currently. If it slopes away from street then it will either have a stormwater connection at rear, or a soakwell/dispersion pit

 

[DaveM]

When was it built? Pre 1960 sewer adn stormwater was commonly contained on the lot (septic, soakwell, dispersion pit, pipe onto the ground)

 

[write2abdul]

Around 1985-90

When was it built? Pre 1960 sewer adn stormwater was commonly contained on the lot (septic, soakwell, dispersion pit, pipe onto the ground)

 

[albanga]

This is definitely a thread I feel educated to comment on!
I am currently developing to the rear of my PPOR which has a sloping block to the rear of the property. Now the council told me I did not have a storm water connection in my easement but just to make sure I dug up my backyard by following my down pipes all the way from the house and into the easement where I found that the pipe simply ended without connecting into a main. So basically all my storm water runs into the rear of my property and when heavy into my neigbors yard

Anyways after lengthy discussions with council they basically advised that I was required to connect to a council approved termination point which luckily for me is in the curb up the hill . After making several suggestions they then told me that they really will only allow their preferred method of making this happen which as using pumps to get the water up the hill.

So as part of my engineering I have had to get a storm water design which is now in the hands of the builders quoting the job. I was told to expect anything from 10-30k but my first rough one has come in at 13k. I am still waiting on a confirmation though.

From what I can tell from the diagram The existing PPOR will also need to be connected to the pump pit.

 

[write2abdul]

Thanks albanga! Much appreciated!

Do you think in the diagram there is a council approved termination point, the one on the right hand side? Is that where I would need existing PPOR need to be connected to the pump pit?

This is definitely a thread I feel educated to comment on!
I am currently developing to the rear of my PPOR which has a sloping block to the rear of the property. Now the council told me I did not have a storm water connection in my easement but just to make sure I dug up my backyard by following my down pipes all the way from the house and into the easement where I found that the pipe simply ended without connecting into a main. So basically all my storm water runs into the rear of my property and when heavy into my neigbors yard

Anyways after lengthy discussions with council they basically advised that I was required to connect to a council approved termination point which luckily for me is in the curb up the hill . After making several suggestions they then told me that they really will only allow their preferred method of making this happen which as using pumps to get the water up the hill.

So as part of my engineering I have had to get a storm water design which is now in the hands of the builders quoting the job. I was told to expect anything from 10-30k but my first rough one has come in at 13k. I am still waiting on a confirmation though.

From what I can tell from the diagram The existing PPOR will also need to be connected to the pump pit.

 

[albanga]

My apologise as I am not too good at reading plans just yet so I am unsure exactly what yours is referring to. Just be sure to remember storm water and sewerage are totally seperate. You will most likely have sewerage in your easement as I do but under no circumstances can you connect storm water into this.

From my experience council should be able to tell you if you have storm water but this is not a guarantee. I know my council for example was once part of a larger one but changed into a smaller one in the early 90s and when this happened a heap of records were lost. I only knew this speaking to my neigbor who worked for the council and was then backed up by a builder who was the one who encouraged me to dig up my backyard as he had seen jobs with "no storm water" that did in fact have it!

I mentioned this is a previous post but speaking with council they said there was storm water in a property which was 13 houses from mine. Now I could connect into that but as the developer I would need to convince and and pay for the pipe which would need to run through the easement of these 13 properties! I think I'll take the 13k pump over that!

 

[write2abdul]

Thanks mate! Looks like its best to avoid back sloping houses until unless they are cheaper by 15-20%

My apologise as I am not too good at reading plans just yet so I am unsure exactly what yours is referring to. Just be sure to remember storm water and sewerage are totally seperate. You will most likely have sewerage in your easement as I do but under no circumstances can you connect storm water into this.

From my experience council should be able to tell you if you have storm water but this is not a guarantee. I know my council for example was once part of a larger one but changed into a smaller one in the early 90s and when this happened a heap of records were lost. I only knew this speaking to my neigbor who worked for the council and was then backed up by a builder who was the one who encouraged me to dig up my backyard as he had seen jobs with "no storm water" that did in fact have it!

I mentioned this is a previous post but speaking with council they said there was storm water in a property which was 13 houses from mine. Now I could connect into that but as the developer I would need to convince and and pay for the pipe which would need to run through the easement of these 13 properties! I think I'll take the 13k pump over that!

 

[albanga]

Thanks mate! Looks like its best to avoid back sloping houses until unless they are cheaper by 15-20%

No worries. Look this is not necessarily true, you just need to perform correct due dilligence and check first to try and avoid this cost if possible. Storm water is one thing but there is also retaining walls to consider with a sloping block and a few other things.

With that all being said though, the property directly across the road from me on a flat block sold for 61k more in the same market. Houses were almost identical (if anything mine was slightly better). Now if we were both to develop identical properties then yes mine would cost slightly more due to site works and a few others requirements for building on a sloped block, but I think you would find it would come in a fair bit under 61k meaning I would turn a higher profit.