7 THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING LAND TO BUILD YOUR CUSTOM HOME

After helping many clients select land for their custom home and going through the process personally, we’ve developed a list of the top seven most important variables to consider and analyze when buying land to build a custom home on. This list is by no means comprehensive, however it should provide you with a good starting point to begin assessing whether or not a piece of land will be suitable for your project.

1.      Review zoning codes, building codes and other regulatory codes applicable to the land

rost architects interviews with hoss real estate brokerage. Click here to watch more excerpts of the interview.

The first thing you will want to do is check what type of use the lot is zoned for. Most jurisdictions have online G.I.S. systems that will allow you to enter the address of the prospective lot and it will list the zone that it falls under. You want to be sure that the use listed conforms with use that you intend to build on the lot. For example an R-1 zoning allows single family residences to be built on the property. If you plan to build an accessory dwelling unit/mother-in-law quarters/guest house on your property, you want to be sure that the zoning code allows for this. (CLick here to read our article on Accessory dwelling units.) To find this you could set up a meeting with a planner at the local planning department in your jurisdiction or consult with an architect who is familiar with the local codes.

Click here to watch our video on the building and zoning codes.

2.      Has a soils report been done on the land?

Ask your realtor to contact the current or past land owners to see if a soils report has been done on the property. The more technical name of a soils report is a "Geological Investigation/Report." If a report has been done for the property, try to review the structural foundation recommendations in the report from the engineer. The type and quality of soil on the site will dictate the type of foundation recommended. Some soil types require simple slab on grade foundations which are relatively inexpensive and easy to build. Other soil types such as expansive clay may require deep piles or a mat slab foundation which can become incredibly expensive. If your final budget cannot accommodate this, it may be prudent to look at other pieces of land. Paying a soils engineer or architect to review the soils on the site could help prevent you from purchasing land which will require extensive foundation work.

3.      ARE ALL UTILITIES AVAILABLE ON THE SITE?

Take a look at the frontage of the property to see if there are water, electric, gas and communication hookups. If these utilities are not are not present at the site, it could be very costly to have the utility companies bring the lines up to the site.

4.      Is there vehicular access to the site?

Proper vehicular access to the site is very important. If the slope of the lot is too steep to allow a car to get down to the building pad, costly soil retaining systems may need to be installed to build a road down to the building pad.

5.      What is the slope of the site?

We’ve had lots of experience designing and building on steeply sloped sites. The goal of a steeply sloped site is to balance out the amount of cut and fill on the property without having to export earth off of the site. Also you want to be sure that the cuts needed on the site are not too deep. Typically we find that limiting cuts to under 15’-0” is a good rule of thumb. If cuts get too deep, shoring systems may be required which can get extremely PRICEY.

6.      Is it near the coast or a body of water? (California Specific)

Click here to watch our video on building a home along the coast. Many of our projects are along the coast. If a prospective lot for your new home is near the coast you may be subject to the requirements of the California Coastal Act. Click here to read our article on the california coastal commission. The California Coastal Act is administered by the California Coastal Commission and the local planning departments in the jurisdiction where the property is located. If your property is subject to review by the California Coastal Commission, the review process can be lengthy and often have significant scheduling impacts. We have been involved in projects where the review process has taken over a year. 

7.      Review any easements recorded on the title

You will typically have an opportunity to review the title report on the property during the escrow period of the transaction. If you can review the report prior to entering escrow that is preferable. During your review, ask your real estate agent and the title company to review any easements or CC&R's on the property. CC&R's stands for codes, covenants and restrictions. These can be recorded on the property title along with easements. 

to see how rost architects begins the design process for a custom home, click here.

If you have questions about these items or would like us to review a property with you prior to purchase, click here and fill out the form on our web-page.