Find The Right Lot To Build On

In choosing the lot on which to build your home, the most important thing to consider is how you’re going to use it. More broadly, consider how you’ll be using it in the context of your life, not just how you’ll be building a house on it. Will you want to be close to town? Will you want to be near a highway or in the middle of downtown? The lot you choose to build on is one of the single most important decisions impacting your life in your new home.

For example, if you already live in the city you’re building in, you might consider how long of a commute your new home will be from your job. A long commute might not seem like a weighty commitment at first, but over time the driving time will wear on anybody. This is a legitimate concern for where you choose to build your home.
Choose your lot according to your leisure or recreation activities. If you like to ski, choose a lot that’s closer to the slopes. Runners and hikers should look for nearby trail systems. If you like to get out of doors, a lot in a quickly developing area may quickly become too urban for your tastes. If city nightlife is your thing, choose a more centrally located build site.
Make sure to know your options before you commit. Do the legwork, and make sure your visit lots of different sites. Once you’ve narrowed your selections down, make sure to visit the short list of sites on different days of the week and during differing weather conditions if possible. Make sure there aren’t any drainages running through your property and that there aren’t any planes or trains passing by during the evening or early mornings.
Additionally, a rural, stand-alone lot may offer some of the benefits of outdoor activities, and may also not be subject to strict zoning laws and housing covenants. However, it also may not have the benefit of being connected to city power and sewer lines making it a potentially costly option. An urban lot, by contrast, is almost certainly fully outfitted with utilities but may be subject to established zoning laws and covenants.
Considerations outside of your lifestyle have mostly to do with sound construction. If, at this point, you’ve already hired a builder, you might have them take a look at the lot. Things like the type of soil and the water drainage have much to do with the long-term integrity of your home’s foundation and the planning of your septic system. Also, if you have unique landscaping techniques, this must be considered in the selection of your lot as well.
Sands and gravels have the best drainage as well as the best stability, and these soils are what most building codes are based on. Loams, clays, and other, softer soils may necessitate changes in the building plan (particularly to the foundation) and may even completely prevent building in a particular site.