Choosing Where to Build Your New Custom Home
When you imagine your dream home, your first thought is typically on what the house itself will look like. However, you are also picturing the front yard and landscape as well.
The plot of land, or lot, that your custom home will be built on is equally as important as the home itself. Picking the wrong lot could change the design of the home you are planning to build or the future expenses you could incur. In fact, we wrote about the financial impact your lot could have here.
To help ensure you find the best lot for your dream home, we recommend considering these eight factors.
Neighborhood
A great home is rarely on an island, especially here in Texas. It’s important to think about who your neighbors will be, how safe the area is and what sort of rules and restrictions the development may have. Neighborhood amenities, like a community pool, can help you decide what special extras to include in your custom home build.
School system
If you have a family, the quality of education your children could receive will likely play a significant role in where you live. Scout out the local school options for your children, and don’t forget to consider higher education levels for the future.
Environment
The environment around your home makes a big difference in the final design of your custom home. Based on where sunlight enters the house, you may want to change the room layout or the type of windows you’re planning to use in a certain room. Building a home at the bottom of a slope could impact where you put your pool, garden, basement, etc. and how you set up drainage and gutters. Understand the land you would be building on and the impact it could have on your plans before making a decision.
Lot size
If you already have a design in mind, make sure that the lot you choose can actually accommodate it. If a lot is smaller than you expected, you may have to be flexible on the pergola or patio ideas you originally had for your backyard. Of course, you’ll need to be sure the house itself fits on the property as well.
Utility accessibility
Again, it’s important to understand how your land can affect your costs. Will you need a well or is it simple to get water into your home? How about gas and electricity? Routing these utilities to your home could be costly. Pay attention to accessibility early in the process and plan around it.
Natural resource rights
Between timber and minerals, the actual land you purchase is not all you could be receiving when buying a plot. In addition to the potential profits you could have from owning the rights, there’s the downside if someone else has them. This means you could be at risk of losing your trees at any time or that a company could come and drill when they see fit. Try your best to own all the natural resource rights that come along with your land.
Lot accessibility
It seems silly, but think about how you will actually get to your home. It’s possible to breach access rights, meaning the only way to get to it is by trespassing through a neighbor’s land. This is obviously not ideal. Difficult access to your home could also result in more money spent on a driveway or a harder drive in off the main road. If you don’t have an SUV or truck, a gravel or bumpy driveway will have a lasting effect on your car.
Future development
Will an airport be built five miles from you? Is there a new strip mall planning to open in two years? When will the first school in your area be built? These questions can have a major impact on your ease of life as well as your property values. More amenities and shops near by equal greater convenience and likely higher property values, but also greater traffic and noise. Check the news and ask around for information on any upcoming development projects in the area.
None of these factors should scare you. Instead, they will help you understand what to be looking for when choosing a lot. We at WillowTree Custom Homes want to make sure you are able to have the custom home of your dreams, and we start with the right foundation. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the process or have any questions, we are happy to help you find the right lot.