Moving to Big Island Hawaii (Hilo: renting, houses, water heater)

[grandtigger]

We are considering a move from the Northeast section of the mainland to the Big Island Hawaii and are trying to gather an estimated cost. Does anyone have an idea on the cost of well drilling and septic system? Not sure if it is better to build or look for existing home. Thanks

[KonaKat]

drilling a well would have astronomic costs, but you could contact these folks about details: Beylik Drilling & Pump Service :: Water Well Drilling and Construction. Septic, not so bad.

Have you ever been here before? Do you know w hat part of the Big Island you would want to live?

[hotzcatz]

If you are asking about drilling a well, it might be best if you moved over here and rented for about six months before buying anything. Next thing, you will be asking about perc tests.

There is so much different about buying land and houses over here that it is hard to even begin. It is almost impossible to buy the best property for you online or from far away. You'll end up with a much better property suited to your likes and dislikes if you move over here for half a year first while looking around.

[grandtigger]

Thank you for your guidance. My son and his family are renting a home in the Hilo area. He would like a little higher elevation. Ideally, we would like our families to live near. I have been researching sites to see if this is something my husband and I can afford to do.

[grandtigger]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

If you are asking about drilling a well, it might be best if you moved over here and rented for about six months before buying anything. Next thing, you will be asking about perc tests.

There is so much different about buying land and houses over here that it is hard to even begin. It is almost impossible to buy the best property for you online or from far away. You'll end up with a much better property suited to your likes and dislikes if you move over here for half a year first while looking around.

I understand your point and do realize life on the mainland is quite different than life on the island. We were thinking about renting but this is such a big move, I wanted to count all the possible costs before actually committing to the move. Thanks for the advice.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by grandtigger

I understand your point and do realize life on the mainland is quite different than life on the island. We were thinking about renting but this is such a big move, I wanted to count all the possible costs before actually committing to the move. Thanks for the advice.

It all depends... rainwater catchment is quite common on the Island of Hawai'i, or hauled water in a cistern. 10,000 gallon home tanks are not uncommon.

Septic system, a common figure quoted for general budgeting is $5,000. That could be high, could be low, it all depends.

Solar water heaters are now required for all new construction, unless you are in an area that gets less sun and can get a variance approved... it all depends.

Everything is different here. Everything. You won't even know the right questions to ask until you've been here a while. Seriously.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Regarding water, why are you thinking of drilling a well? Everyone either has county water or is on catchment. I don't think anyone drills a private well because of the extremely high cost to do so. Not only is the lava hard to dig through, but we also have what's called "blue rock", which is just about impossible to dig through. There is another thread that discusses this is more detail; you can do a forum search (I think they were discussing Green Sand Subdivision).

Regarding waste, why are you considering a septic system? The county still allows cesspools, I believe. Much cheaper to install and maintain.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

The county still allows cesspools, I believe. Much cheaper to install and maintain.

Not on residential property. As an alternative, they do allow composting toilets with a greywater dispersal system.

Like I said... EVERYTHING is different here.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Not on residential property. As an alternative, they do allow composting toilets with a greywater dispersal system.

Cesspools are still allowed on "agricultural-zoned" properties that are larger than an acre.

There are plenty of houses located on "agricultural-zoned" lots on the Big Island. Oftentimes, "agricultural-zoned" lots are on the same street, same block, or even adjacent to "residential-zoned" lots. The "permitted" and "non-permitted" uses, setbacks, etc. differ by zoning classification, so it might be wiser to purchase a property that allows the greatest latitude.

Here are links to the zoning definitions for the Big Island...
http://www.co.hawaii.hi.us/maps/zone/Zoning%20Definition.pdf (broken link)

Zone maps...
County of Hawaii: Zone Maps (http://www.co.hawaii.hi.us/maps/zone/maps.htm - broken link)

And, "development standards" for each zone...
http://www.co.hawaii.hi.us/planning/rules/devstds.pdf (broken link)

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

Cesspools are still allowed on "agricultural-zoned" properties that are larger than an acre.

There are plenty of houses located on "agricultural-zoned" lots on the Big Island. Oftentimes, "agricultural-zoned" lots are on the same street, same block, or even adjacent to "residential-zoned" lots. The "permitted" and "non-permitted" uses, setbacks, etc. differ by zoning classification, so it might be wiser to purchase a property that allows the greatest latitude.

Like I said. Cesspools are not allowed on residential property. And wells are not allowed within 1,000' of cesspools. Cesspools are just bad news... bad for the environment, bad for water table quality, bad for the aina... if there is one thing that deserves to go the way of the dodo it is cesspools. I don't care if you have 10,000 acres... and the county says OK... there are better ways to go than cesspools.

Septic systems do work if properly configured, even if your perc test flat lines. A better choice ecologically is using composting toilets and greywater dispersal.