Land Conditions
- Soil. Has the property been a victim of hazardous waste? Are there pollutants that may not be apparent to an untrained observer?
- Land Stability. Is the property is subject to land slides or sinkages?
- Water Drainage. Is the property located near a river? Are there hills or low spots which may make your home subject to water runoff? Err on the side of caution. Even Mies van der Rohe made a grievous mistake. He placed the Farnsworth House too close to a stream, and his masterpiece suffered serious flood damage as a result.
- Noise. Is there a nearby airport, highway, or railroad? How disruptive is it?
- Zoning. In five years, your beautiful views may be replaced by a highway or a housing development. Zoning regulations will indicate what may be legally constructed in the surrounding area.
- Building Codes. A variety of ordinances will affect the placement of your new home on the lot. Regulations will specify how close you can build to the property line, roads, streams, and lakes.
- Easements. Easements for electrical and telephone poles will limit the space you have for building your home.
- Public Utilities. Unless the property is in a development of suburban tract homes, there may not be easy access to electricity, gas, telephone, cable television or public water lines. Sewers. If there are no municipal sewers, you'll need to know where you may legally place your septic system.
You may be tempted to skimp on the cost of your land so that you can spend more money on building your house. Don't. The cost of altering an unsuitable lot is likely to be more expensive than purchasing land that is meets your needs and your dreams.
How much should you spend on a building lot? There are exceptions, but in most communities your land will represent 20% to 25% of your total building costs.
