Choosing a Home Building Lot

If you have already purchased your house plan you might need to look for a building lot that will complement the house.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you search for a lot.  Remember, you will probably have to make a few compromises along the way, so rank them in the order of importance.  The first thing recommended, is to make a list of the things that you liked and disliked about places you have lived and visited in the past.

Once you have prepared a complete list of the most important attributes that you are searching for, you can begin checking out lot locations.  While searching for your ideal building lot, evaluate each lot based upon the qualities that you have identified on your list.

Questions to Investigate before you purchase your lot

Is the building lot large enough for the house style and plan that you want?

Often there are some stumbling blocks or building code restrictions limiting the precise location on the lot space upon which the actual house construction can take place.  Therefore, check with the local building department prior to purchase to determine what restrictions might be in place for the lot.  If your chosen house plan necessitates a particular side or location for a driveway or garage, you will need to determine how much space you will need for clearance and turn space and allow for adequate distance on one of the sides.  Although you could submit a petition after purchase to the local zoning board for a change in variance, this can be a lengthy process which can drag out the completion of your home. Often communities will not consent to any changes or modifications to the zoning restrictions for residential areas in the community.  Check with the developer or local zoning board for their requirements before you purchase the lot.

What is an easement?

Easements may be considered public or private.  Easements grant rights to persons other than the owner access and use of a property.

A private easement is limited to a specific individual such as the owner of an adjoining land.  A public easement is one that grants the right to a large group of individuals or to the public in general, such as the easement on public streets and highways.

Easements include:

• Storm drain easements
• Sanitary sewer easements
• Electrical power easements
• Telephone easements
• Sidewalk easements
• Driveway easements, also known as easement of   access.

Restrictive easement

A restrictive easement is a condition placed on land by its owner or by government that in some way limits its use, usually regarding the types of structures which may be built there or what may be done with the ground itself.  Restrictive easements are also frequently placed on wetlands to prevent them from being destroyed by development.

If the zoning of a lot has easement restrictions, it may limit or restrict which areas of the property can be built. They can also confine and limit the construction of your new home to a specific size and dimension as well as portion of the lot space.  Therefore, prior to purchase, it is advisable to check with the local zoning laws to determine if any easements or restrictions might apply to the building lot you are considering.

Will the lot flood?

Check the drainage after a heavy rain.  Make sure the lot is not in a floodplain.  A lot with standing water or a heavy flow of water during a rainstorm can lead to wet basements and other problems down the road.  Lots which are situated on low-lying areas adjacent to streams that periodically overflow may cause your property to flood.  A landscape architect can suggest some solutions to bad drainage or flooding concerns.

Check the direction of the sun.  Where does it rise and where does it set?  If you are an early riser you might enjoy those rays of sunshine beaming into your bedroom windows, or you might enjoy watching the sunset from a backyard deck.  Which side will get a southern exposure making it deal for growing plants and flowers, also, you might want to position the house so the garage and/or storage buildings can be on the north side.  This keeps them in shadows most of the day and allows the living areas to receive more light.

Another point to consider is the direction of the wind.  By positioning the house to shield the outdoor living spaces from northwest winter winds, you could extend the seasonal usage of these spaces by three or four months.

Keeping the above factors in mind will help you select the perfect lot for your new home.