As real estate professionals that specialize in land, Land Resellers has helped thousands of people find some of the most beautiful and undeveloped land, sprawling ranches, and custom home sites in the nation. However, there are a few things people should consider before purchasing a plot of land. That’s why we’ve decided to put together a list of helpful things to look for when buying land to build a house. This will help you to find the best property while avoiding any unwanted surprises down the road.
Find The Right Location
First and foremost, it’s essential to consider the location of where you want to live. Aside from choosing what community you want to be a part of, it would be best to research nearby properties and neighbors. This will help you determine who and what you really want to live next too. You should also consider whether to purchase a plot of land that’s hours away from the nearest grocery store. Proximity to local amenities, medical services, recreational opportunities, etc., are important things to consider when looking for a property to build a home on.
Consider The Future
One of the biggest mistakes we’ve seen as real estate professionals is what is commonly referred to as “land fever.” By land fever, we mean falling in love with certain features that make you forget to ask some important questions about a plot of land.
Will your future property be boxed in by future subdivisions? Can you stand to listen to a train passing nearby in the middle of the night? At Land Resellers, we’ve seen the development of these situations several times where everything seems fine at first, but a different reality sets in down the road. When purchasing land, it’s important to consider the future and what you are purchasing. While it may be hard to picture how things might change over the years, it’s definitely worth a little research.
Are There Any Property Setbacks?
Are there any property setbacks that will affect your ability to build a home? Take the time to visit a local building department to get important answers to this question. You don’t want to purchase a plot of land that will dictate the size of your home, how it’s built, etc.
How Much Will It Cost To Install Utilities?
Before you purchase a plot of land, it’s important to understand what utilities you will need to install and how much it will cost. This can be the ultimate deal-breaker when it comes to building a future home. That’s why you should take the time to consider how you will access the following:
- Water
- Septic
- Power
- Gas
- Phone
- Internet
While you may find the perfect plot of land, it may not have access to municipal utilities. This can result in thousands of dollars to have them installed on your property. Just because you find a beautiful plot of land for a great price doesn’t mean you’ll save money if you have to pay large installation and connection fees. That’s why you should contact local utility companies ahead of time and find out how much it will cost you before you purchase a specific property.
What Rights Come With The Land?
Depending on the location, it’s important to understand what rights come with the land. You don’t want to purchase property with limited rights that could seriously affect you in the long run. These include water rights, mineral rights, timber rights, and access rights.
Just because you purchase a plot of land with a river running through it doesn’t mean you own the rights to the water. In fact, you may be restricted with what you can do with your land if it contains a natural resource that other people depend on. Furthermore, you may not even be able to access the water at all.
Mineral rights are also important. While you may not think it will affect you in the future, anyone that owns third-party mineral rights to your property can come out and drill your land. This scenario also applies to timber rights. If you purchase a plot of land with a lot of trees, you need to know if you actually own them. You don’t want to fall in love with the trees on your property only to have someone come out and harvest them in the future.
Furthermore, it’s important to consider access rights to your property. While a plot of land may seem like the perfect place to build a home, it might as well be located on the moon if you can’t legally access it. That’s why it’s important to make sure there are access rights in place that protect YOU. Otherwise, you may not even be able to set foot on it without a helicopter.
Are There Any Zoning Restrictions?
Last but not least, you’ll want to research any zoning restrictions that could affect your ability to develop and build on a piece of land. Is your property zoned for residential use? If so, take the time to research any covenants, codes, and CCRs. This could affect whether you can build a barn, shop, or additional structures. You may also not be able to afford the required 6,000 square foot home that an architectural committee requires or the $500 per month association fees that come with the property. If this is the case, you may want to purchase a different plot of land.
Land Resellers
We hope this has been a helpful list of things to look out for when buying land to build a house. Want additional help searching for properties? Land Resellers is a new online marketplace that makes the process of searching for land easier than traditional real estate websites. With us, you have the ability to search specific land properties in different areas of the country and choose the options that best match your required criteria and budget. Happy searching!