There are several things to consider when selecting a lot to build your home on. Do you want to be in a neighbhorhood or on private land? Do you want waterfront or a view of a lake or pond? How close do you want to be to your place of work? What school district do you want to be in?
Established neighborhoods have become very sought after as people often want to know what the properties around them are going to be like. A neighborhood can have restrictions on the size and style of houses being built. This can be beneficial for those concerned about how the neighboring properties will affect their resale value. Also, neighborhoods often can provide shared amenities such as a pool, tennis court, or pond.
On the flip side, some people prefer private land so they aren't forced to deal with community restrictions. Private land can generally be found at a lower cost since neighborhood amenities are not built into the price. Also, some people build on private land that belongs to their family or to get a bigger tract of land than what is available in most developments.
From the construction side, it is also helpful to consider the following when selecting a lot or land to build on:
- Elevations - Check to see the slope of the lot (if any) and how this will relate to the house you want to build. Be mindful of how and where water run-off from your house will go.
- Setbacks - Each lot is going to have a minimum setback for the front, back, left, and right sides of the property. This is particularly important on smaller lots - you want to make sure the house you intend to build will fit within the setbacks of the lot.
- Facing direction - Find out which direction your house will face on the lot to ensure it's going to suit you. This will let you forsee which rooms in your house will be getting direct sunlight at certain times of the day.
- Sewer or Septic - A septic system usually requires more clearing of the lot in order to install the septic drain lines.
- Public Water or Well - The expense of digging a well is often unknown because it depends on the depth which must be dug before a good supply of water is hit. You won't know this exact depth until you start digging.
All of these things considered ahead of time will help you make a good lot selection. Of course, all of these issues may also have an affect on the price of the lot or land. Lot and land prices have been increasing considerably in recent years. This is not a surprise as there is only so much land out there. The price range can also be very wide. For example, the price range of lots in neighborhoods in Lexington SC 29072 is any where from $35k to $415k.
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