Buying a Home With Land Near Fayetteville: What to Check First

A little land sounds good. More room, more privacy, maybe a shop, a garden or a place for the kids to play. But before you fall in love with the acreage, you need to know what you can actually do with it.

One of the biggest mistakes is assuming that because something is nearby, it is available to your property. Water is a good example.

Water at the road does not mean you can get water

You may see a water line along the road, or the seller may tell you water is available. You still need to check with the water company.

Is a tap available for this property? Can the system serve the home you want to build? What will it cost to connect?

A tap is the connection to the water system. A nearby line does not guarantee that the provider will approve a new connection. Washington Water Authority, for example, requires a tap request and reviews water availability before approving service.

Around Fayetteville and the surrounding rural areas, we have several water providers, including city systems, Washington Water Authority and Madison County Water Facilities Board. The provider depends on the exact property, so don’t go by the mailing address alone.

Ask about the meter, connection fees, road crossings and the cost of getting the line to the house. A home set far back from the road may have costs you would not expect just looking at the land.

Washington Water Authority connection information | Madison County Water Facilities Board

Not all land works for a standard septic system

If the property does not have public sewer, you need to know whether it can support a septic system.

You will often hear someone say the land needs to “perc.” A perc test checks how quickly water moves into the soil through prepared test holes. That helps determine whether the soil can handle water from a septic drain field.

But the test is only part of the answer. Soil conditions, rock, seasonal groundwater and the amount of suitable space also matter. Arkansas allows certain evaluations based on seasonal groundwater conditions rather than a traditional perc test.

Some land will not support a standard septic system. An alternative system may be possible, but it needs proper evaluation and approval, and it can change your budget. Don’t assume there will always be another option.

Have a qualified septic professional evaluate the property for the home you want, including the number of bedrooms and room for a replacement drain field. Do this before settling on where the house and shop will go.

Arkansas septic system requirements

Know what kind of survey you need

A fence is not proof of a property line, and an online parcel map should not replace a survey.

What most people call a regular survey is usually a boundary survey. It identifies the property lines and corners. What else it shows depends on the work you ask the surveyor to include.

An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is also a boundary survey, but it follows a national set of requirements designed to work with the title company and lender. It includes more detailed work around title-related issues, such as recorded easements, access and possible encroachments, where something crosses a property line.

ALTA surveys are often used for commercial property or more complex purchases. You do not automatically need one just because you are buying acreage. Ask your surveyor, lender and title company what your purchase requires.

Neither type of survey, by itself, tells you that a water tap is available or that the land will support septic.

Learn about ALTA/NSPS surveys

Make sure you can legally get to the property

A driveway leading to the land does not answer every access question. Find out whether access is from a public road, a private road or an easement across someone else’s property.

Have the title company and surveyor help confirm the access. If there is a shared road, ask who maintains it and whether there is a written agreement.

Look at usable land, not just total acres

Five acres on paper may not give you five acres for the plans you have in mind. Steep slopes, drainage areas, floodplain, easements and the septic area can limit where things go.

Walk the property and think through your plans. Where would the shop sit? How would you reach it? Is there enough suitable space for the house, driveway and septic system?

If you are buying an existing home, verify its current water service, septic records and condition. If you plan to add bedrooms or build another home, check whether the existing services can handle those changes.

The bottom line

Buying a home with land near Fayetteville can be a great move, but get the answers before you commit. Verify the water, septic, boundaries and access, then make sure the usable land fits what you want to do.

It is much better to find out what a property cannot do before you own it.

Browse land for sale

If you are considering land for a future home, compare land for sale in Washington County, Arkansas, or broaden your search to land for sale in Northwest Arkansas. These searches focus on lots and land, rather than homes with acreage.