Everyone wants to build their “dream house”. Before you can build your home, you must have land to work with. Indeed just like a professional builder or developer it pays to zero in on the methods used by these trade pros both in lot selection and acquisition.
Its not only a simple case of location , location and location but also to learn and be cognizant of the implications of perk tests , easements, land contracts , subordination , covenants , deed restrictions , zoning and the full gamut of aspects of land acquisition.
Otherwise your perfectly good deal could well be routed into a disaster. Thus take the time to learn and follow a sequence of various steps. Lastly be thorough in your planning and actions.
What to Look For:
First things first. If you have been thinking about buying or purchasing land for some time, most likely you already know what your requirements are and what you are searching for. For example you will know if you want an in-town lot, a five-acre parcel in the country or suburbia, farm acreage of just a standard residential lot.
It all relates to your own specific needs, wants and preferences. However one point – everyone has dreams – but essentially be practical.
Basements:
It can be said that geography, funding and personal preferences aside not all houses have basements. Even so not all people and home owners want basements to begin with. However if you do want a basement, then you should put this on your list of things to look for when shopping for your building lot.
If you want a walk-out basement, then its best to seek ground with sloping topography at the house site. All in all, construction trades professionals will advise that if you do wish for a walk out basement type setup then you should definitely seek land with a sloping topography at the house site.
This will no doubt save money on excavation and as well provide for a much more attractive walk-out basement that is not as likely to leak as otherwise.
Buried Type Basements:
Alternatively if you are after what is referred to in the construction trades as a “buried basement”, you then check and be reassured that digging that hole in the ground for your basement is both possible and feasible.
Amazingly , and many potential lot buyers and home builders never even seem to think and contemplate if a basement excavation can actually be done at the site of their “dream home” – that is before they plunk down their cash , and sign papers for their dream lot. For example there may be bedrock under the surface that makes the whole event and exercise downright cost-prohibitive.
Blasting bedrock can be done as a matter of course, but that is an extra ordinary expense that gets expensive and costly. What can you do to rule out such a situation? Simply test soil excavation ease and depth with an auger, a drive rod (that is a metal rod with a thin diameter that can be driven into the ground).
Lastly at the very worst rent a back hoe for a test dig. At the worst renting a backhoe from a construction firm for a brief digging test run, can be a lot cheaper than being stuck with an odd building lot that no one else really wants.
Summary of Choosing Your Lot Properly:
At the end of the road it can be said that building your dream home takes patience, thoroughness and yet even toughness. It’s no light task to be thrown to chance or the wind. Yet at the very beginning of your project take time to work through the steps of sourcing and checking your building lot , in the same steps , sequence and thoroughness as if you were a building contractor or property developer.
Eddie Charleswood
Edward has been involved in new home construction as well as the heating and air conditioning trades in the Winnipeg area
Eddie’s motto in the construction furnace trade is that its got to be done right and on time or your reputation in the Manitoba region is gone and of little value