How to Evaluate Land Before You Buy.
PLANNING SERIES PART 3 | WHERE WILL YOU BUILD?
Where will you build your future home? And how do you evaluate the land to make sure it’s the right lot for you? Part 3 of our Planning Series is all about WHERE you’ll build and what to keep in mind when you’re on the land hunt.
If you’re new to this Planning Series, you can catch Part 1 (WHY) and Part 2 (HOW) via these links.
If you’re looking at land listings, you’ve probably already nailed down some of the areas where you want to build. To really understand and evaluate a lot though, you’ll need to dig a little deeper to make sure it’s the right piece of land for you (and for what you’re dreaming about building). To help, we’ve created a land assessment checklist to guide you.
First, start with your endgame. Refine your listings by what you think you’re going to want to build. This doesn’t mean you have to have the floor plans picked out, but having a general goal for the land is important. Working with a local real estate agent is a great investment - they’ll know the area and can help you gain insight that is hard to come by otherwise.
🌶️ Hot Tip: The one thing I'd love my clients to know or prepare for when buying land is to have a clear picture of what they are wanting to put on the land. They need to know their endgame. I then can filter that through the various steps to make sure it will work for what they want. For example, if I knew they wanted to build 3 cabins on a large piece of land but the restrictions limited it to one primary residence, I would know pretty quickly that they would need to keep looking.
- Angela Branan, AR Real Estate Specialist located in Bella Vista, AR 🔗
As you look through land listings, start to determine what’s important to you. Maybe the land has to be off a quiet road, or be on a wooded lot, or be a pretty flat topography. A one acre property in a neighborhood is different from a one acre remote property, and both will come with a variety of different restrictions in terms of what you might be able to build. Sharing these wish list items with your realtor can help you both narrow down your options.
🌶️ Hot Tip: The more remote the location, the harder and more expensive it likely will be. Typically, remote properties have access issues, vendor difficulty and a lack of utilities. It’s best to think about what it actually would mean to be fully off-grid. Is there enough water in the area to drill a successful well? Are there other houses in the area that you can share the burden of snow removal? Is natural gas or electricity available or will you need to plan to be fully solar? Can you have a septic system pumped and serviced easily when needed? It’s definitely a completely different lifestyle to build remote and comes with a lot of challenges that are hard to anticipate if you’re coming from a pre planned and developed area.
- Heidi Hebb, a CO Mountain Area Real Estate Specialist in Denver, CO 🔗
When you find a lot that seems to check all of your boxes, you’ll want to evaluate the lot for buildability before you purchase. Because this comes with a fair share of investigation, it’s worth seeing the land first to make sure you love it (and will give you a little extra motivation).
When evaluating land, look into the following:
Natural characteristics - Is the land flat or super sloped? What’s the orientation of the lot? What score would you give the sound and view?
Sloped properties usually incur more costs with greater foundation costs compared to flat sites.
Access - How convenient is the property? Do you have to go through an easement to access it? Do I need to put a driveway in?
Longer driveways cost more to install, upkeep, and plow.
Utilities - Is there water, sewer, electricity, and internet available or how hard is it going to be to get those?
Septic and wastewater are often overlooked when evaluating land. If you can’t connect to a sewer, then you’ll likely need a septic - which means getting a septic system designed, permitted, and installed. Make sure the land can support a septic system before you purchase.
Regulations - Zoning, permitting, and covenants will determine what – and where on the lot – you’re allowed to build. Does the land have a minimum square footage requirement? Do the covenants have a restriction for how many buildings you can build?
If you’re planning to build a short term rental, pay close attention to the covenants and local regulations. These laws are changing quickly in some areas.
🌶️ Hot Tip: Depending on what has been done to the land so far, there is a big difference in buying what I call “RAW” land and land that has been “improved” in some way (perked, surveyed, etc). Septic and the location of the well play a big role in where you can build a house. Knowing the infrastructure needed before building is a huge piece that is missing for a lot of people.
- Nancy Warren, a Vermont Realtor in the Greater Burlington area 🔗
Moving quickly on a piece of land can be exhilarating and exciting, but make sure you’re doing your due diligence before jumping the gun. Get help from the pros - your local real estate specialist can help guide you and when you’ve narrowed down a lot (or two) that you love, we can assist you in evaluating your building opportunities, whether it’s land you’re considering or already own. Find out more in our Planning Package. Don’t forget to take your evaluation a step further with this land assessment checklist.
Did you know we help folks all over the country kickstart their home building journey and find success in their build with our bespoke home plans?
Kickstart your project with our Planning Package or find your perfect (and customizable) home plan in our bespoke & sustainable home plan collection.