So you ca n’t buy your aspiration house … but perhaps you could grease one’s palms your dreaming kingdom .
This was the realization that my husband and I had in 2018 after more than a year of unsuccessful star sign hunting . We were search in a challenging mart , hoping to tally the unicorn of real estate : a fixing agent - upper with just os , on a wide open , beautiful property with quite a little of space to create a homestead , all on a budget we could really afford once we factored in remodeling price .
That fixer - upper did n’t exist in Bend , Oregon — at least not without spending an exorbitant amount of money just to finalise for something . So we switch gears and decided to look for land .
Our logical thinking : We would spend nearly the same amount of money remodel an old house as we would building a brand - new menage . The math was all in favor of custom building , and we ’d have our ambition house on the first go - unit of ammunition .
It ’s an beguiling proposition , but buying commonwealth is n’t quite as square as buying a house . ( Never mind actuallybuildingthe family — but you could be my serial publication , Garden Betty Builds a House , to catch it all unfold . )
Once we decided to focus our search on land , it took another eight months beforewe discover the perfect dimension . In another post , I compose we rule land ( with confidential information on how you could ascertain one too ) .
Today , I ’m going to spell out exactlywhatyou need to look for if you ’re in the market to buy nation ( or if you ’re simply curious about how we evaluated the land we ’re building our house on ) .
1. What comes first, the land or the architect?
Well , it depends .
My husband and I went about our res publica hunt on our own . We had a specific type of land in mind ( fairly level and loose with few Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to clear ) and a specific type of mansion we want to build ( elementary lines without a lot of cutouts ) so we could avoid the disbursement of a complicated build . Because of this , we choose to find the land first and then interview designer while we were in escrow .
However , there are a few scenarios in which you ’d want to choose your architect or constructor first .
Your desired placement is notoriously tricky to ramp up on . If you live in an area that ’s very hilly , densely forested , situated on a shoreline , or has similarly alone or tricky characteristics , you ’ll probably want to draft the avail of an designer or builder before you start view property .
By hiring a professional first , you may list on their expertise to take you toward better or less expensive pick . A knowledgable architect or builder will be able to recount you whether the land is challenging to design around or build on , and hopefully steer you away from pricey fault .
Your goal is to have the most vigour - effective home possible . If you at long last want to achieve a net - zero home or one that meet certain free energy - efficiency standards , it ’s a good estimation to bug out the journey with an architect or builder with experience in that industry .
The reasons are treble : First , they can help you beak a parcel that will maximise energy - efficient building method . secondly , they can give you a good theme of how much things will be on the construction side so you could properly budget for the land ( and not waste time look at attribute you ca n’t afford to develop ) .
You want an expert and partner in the mental process and a full - religious service custom dwelling experience . Does the persuasion of looking for land ( and verify it ’s buildable ) finger too daunting to tackle alone ? babble out to a constructor ! Some builder prefer to be part of the plan from the get - go and will visit possible oodles with you .
When you sign on with builder like this , they will help you witness the correct piece of domain and may even offer in - house design and engineering services .
If this case of one - stop store appeals to you , search for blueprint - build business firm . These full - service firms take on the roles of architects , contractors , and construction fellowship all under one cap , streamlining the process considerably since they overlap the design and construction form of the labor .
But even with a professional onboard , it ’s always wise to know what you ’re get into .
Keep reading to study exactly what you should appear out for when buying land — including the stuff no one talks about !
2. Location and zoning
When doing your due diligence , the most important factor to consider before buying acres is its location . In real estate , location trumps all other characteristics because , well , if you do n’t love where you survive ( or realize it ’s too complicated to build on ) , it does n’t weigh if you’re able to afford it .
What municipality does the res publica diminish under?Here in Bend , Oregon , land is either part of the City of Bend or part of Deschutes County , and each has its own curing of building requirements , building fees , and public services ( like road maintenance and mail service pitch ) .
In our experience , land that fall alfresco of city limits was much easier and less expensive to develop , though it typically wo n’t appraise as high as land within the city . We by and large bask gloomy taxes but are n’t allowed to vote on certain metropolis ballot measure that may impact us . For us , the trade - offs were worth it for these and many other reasons .
Does the community have potential for future development?Not only should you consider where all your neighbor are , but where anyfutureneighbors ( and next roadways or developments ) may appear in relation to your land .
What surprise a lot of new landowners is when they buy their game and suddenly find out an flat complex is die up across the street . Be trusted to check what current zoning requirements are for your neighborhood , and do n’t be afraid to talk to the neighbors ( who often have small nugget of selective information about what ’s going on in the community ) .
Are there any zoning restrictions?Aside from finding out what ’s allowed to be built in the vicinity , you should also know whatisn’tallowed . sure zoning laws may restrict the type of house that can be built , the routine of chickens you could keep , or whether you could add an ADU or other outbuilding on the place .
There will also be property setbacks you need to abide by , which can greatly affect the size of it and predilection of your theatre . In our case , we also had to consider the solar black eye of our house , which dictated how high we could build on our heap .
Are there HOAs , CC&Rs , or deed restrictions?Zoning is n’t the only potential limit for what you’re able to build on your lot . If you ’re buy domain in a branch , there may be covenant in berth that spell out the color you could paint your theatre , the type of landscaping you could have , or the style of fencing allow .
Not to advert , base communities may have rank or connection fee that at long last make your monthly mortgage too gamy .
Some subdivision may also have deed limitation about removal of tree , obstruction of a neighbor ’s view , or park an recreational vehicle in your own private road . Be certain to get copy of all these document beforehand and read them carefully if you ’re considering buying the lot .
What ’s the neighborhood like?Sometimes this is n’t something you may determine decent away , which is why I urge visiting the property morning , day , and night to get a feel for the vicinity . Visit it on the worst daytime if possible , when it ’s full of localized dealings or after a big storm .
reckon at how tidy ( or not ) the front yards are . Chat with neighbour walk their dogs and ask them what it ’s like to experience there . have them know you ’re think of bribe state to build on . We ’ve walked away from properties simply because of what we find out about the neighborhoods .
And really meditate what ’s nearby ( zooming into Google satellite view really helps here ) . Is there a landfill a couple geographical mile away where the hint could shoot a line a certain counselling and make your home smell ? Do the neighbors have a noisy motocross cut in their backyard ? Is there candid place adjacent to the property where people are allowed to shoot ?
Are you near any amenities?Time how long it takes to force to shoal , market store , parks , trails , or your favored spots . If you think you ’ve find your aspiration property but it lengthen your workaday commute , be good with yourself on whether that extra 30 bit is worth it ( especially if you live in a snow-clad climate ) .
3. Orientation and views
This is one region that many mass do n’t intend too deeply about , but in my opinion , the predilection of the mint is everything ( especially if you ’re hop to build an get-up-and-go - efficient home ) .
What shape is the lot?A square lot will give you many option for construction and landscaping , whereas an odd - shaped great deal will be more challenging to develop .
Take our draw , for instance : It ’s wedge - influence , which mean there was really only one touch we could put our house if we wanted a large and sprawling backyard . Fortunately , we like having our house fix farther back from the route , so the narrower end of the quite a little was perfect for our drive .
What direction is the land oriented?What really sold us on our property was the plenteous S - confront exposure , which allowed us to incorporate passive solar designing in our building . ( Not to mention , we love all the natural light ! ) We specifically looked for terra firma that was oriented east - west for this reason , with few to no large trees on the south - facing side that might block our sun .
Another reason you might want to pay care to predilection is due to microclimates . verbalize from my own experience of renting home plate with north - face up drive : Charles Percy Snow and chicken feed work up up more easily and evaporate away more slowly . likewise , a slew that sits on the Second Earl of Guilford side of a Benny Hill wo n’t see that much sun .
What variety of views do you have , or could you have?View obstructions like trees , power tune , or even the neighbor ’s second - story fillip room are big things to consider .
Will you need to locate your house a certain manner to have the persuasion you desire ? Will you have the best views from a balcony , sleeping accommodation , or living way ? Can you create your own view with custom landscape gardening to obliterate an unsightly feature ?
4. Road access
route access considerations go beyond paved versus dirt . Believe it or not , it ’s possible to bribe a plot of land without have a legal direction to drive to it , making you in effect landlocked .
So , how will you get to your lot?If you ca n’t access your property via municipally maintain roadstead , you ’ll need to create a private road , which can be very expensive ( and eminent maintenance — no one ’s going to empty the coke or take attention of those potentiometer cakehole for you ! ) .
In rural sphere , this often means driving on someone else ’s private property for get to your drive , so you ’ll take to insure an easement on a neighboring mess — if you may get it . Not all neighbors are friendly , and not all neighbour desire to give up a slice of their dimension so you may access yours .
Speaking of easing … Utility company may need easements on your property to access their infrastructure ( and implement restrictions that affect your ability to fence or landscape painting around those easements ) . Or the community may have an easement through your property for a tramp or bike trail . Be certain to verify if there are any relief you need to account for when designing your household .
5. Site challenges
The forcible characteristics of the land will dictate what you may or ca n’t do , and how expensive it ’ll terminate up being .
What does the estate look like?Is the nation unconditional or hilly ? Is the entire parcel buildable , or is a circumstances of it covered in lava rocks ? challenge like these could require the narrow down skills of an architectural and engineering firm instead of a draftsman / fashion designer , thereby increase the cost of developing the property ( sometimes by a significant amount ) .
Does it need to be cleared?Clearing a densely forested lot may not be as easy as you think . There might be confinement or rule on what eccentric or how many trees can be cleared , or you might ask to institute new trees for any that you slew down .
farming mitigation ( where you have to pay to replace or relocate plants and wildlife ) can also become more of a fuss than it ’s worth .
Are there any environmental hazards?verify the belongings you ’re consider is free of all environmental hazards , such as contaminated H2O or soil . You might need to order an environmental subject if one is n’t already on file .
Are there other risk factors?If the lot is in a gamy - risk wildfire geographical zone , flood tide plain , or other raw peril , this will present building challenges as well as extra monetary value in insurance ( if it ’s insurable at all ) .
Is there a septic feasibleness subject field on file?If you ’re buying land in a rural area that requires a septic system , has a infected feasibleness study been done to influence what type of septic can be establish ? ( The toll divergence between a standard septic and a specialised system can be in the tens of G . )
And while you ’re prove your soil , make up aid to the composition and depth . Is the grime very flaxen , or is it slow to debilitate ? ( This may be a trouble if you be after to have a garden . ) Is the soil nice and deep , or is there just a few groundwork of earth on top of bedrock ? ( You believably wo n’t be able to build up a basement unless you cart in lots of fill crap . )
6. Utility access
Speaking of septic , the cost ( and power ) to make for all utilities onto your lot can easy make or transgress your conclusion . Connection fee are only one part of it ; trenching the lines to your household can be a substantial price if you ’re far back from the route or have natural obstacles that make it harder to bring in utilities .
Will your home be on septic or sewer?If the prop does n’t have an existing septic organization , you ’ll necessitate totest the soil for feasibilityand summate the cost of infected installation to your budget . bouldery areas may also turn up a few surprises during archeological site , so it ’s not rare for the price of septic to pass over if you have to lend in the jackhammers .
Is there weewee and superpower at the street?If so , that ’s safe ! But also see how far you ’ll have to impart those water and king lines in to the property . Trenching is often an underestimated cost if you have a long driveway , and in outside areas , hook up to municipal utility can be highly expensive .
Get in touch with the local utility caller before putting in an offer to find out what the costs would be to link water supply , electric , flatulence , waste , phone , cablegram , and other connections .
Are you attend to purchase raw land?If you dream of going off - grid , verify you factor out in the cost of digging a well and installing septic and solar panel , not to advert their ongoing maintenance .
In this day and eld , you also need good cell reception . Not take in it will probably make your life miserable if you oft need to make calls or go online .
7. Permitting
Permitting was n’t something I impart much view to at the beginning of our acres search , but quickly realized it ’s a pretty significant piece of the whole pie .
First , were there previous permits?What I care to do when I first find a possible lot is look for permits that may have been issued before . Your local edifice section will have a record of all submittals , and if you see that someone else seek to build on the holding but give way , you may want to look into further .
In Central Oregon , we have an on-line system called Deschutes Dial where you could plug in any address and pull up public property entropy , such as plot of land design , zoning , soil reports , permission , assessments , and other thing you should know while doing your due diligence . Other municipalities have similar systems : Google [ your metropolis ] edifice Trachinotus falcatus or [ your city ] build records to protrude your search .
you may also call your local construction section to incur out how to get at these records . Building department go by a variety of names : Community Development , City Planning , Planning Division , Department of Building and Safety , or anything along those lines .
What should you await to pay?Depending on where you live , permits can be a surprising part of the project budget . We had to pay for a variety of permits ( demolition , infected valuation , septic abandonment , septic installation , road access , structural and plot program review ) in gain to our steady construction permit . All of these permit totaled nearly $ 13,000 , which had to be paid before our structure loan closed .
Permits and cost will motley based on what you project to do on your property , so make certain you call the building department for an estimate of fees before you get too far ahead . These eccentric of piano costs can be paid from the structure loanword at closingifthey were included in the budget , but you do need to make up for them out - of - pocket first .
How long do permit take to issue?Depending on your municipality , permits can take anywhere from a few week to a few months , and your architect / architect or world-wide contractor should recognize what the current timeframes are ( after all , they ’re the ace who deal with the building department on a hebdomadal cornerstone ) . If the peck is tricky to build on or the house design is strange , be prepared to wait longer for the plot plans to be refresh and approved .
mostly , the permitting process can hap in tandem with the construction loanword cognitive process , but it never hurt to submit for permits earlier to make certain building can begin as shortly as your labor is amply funded .
8. Financial considerations
Unless you ’re paying all hard cash , buying land is not as straight as buying a house . It can also incur additional costs that you might not find out about until after you ’ve already bought the land .
Do n’t skimp on a real landed estate lawyer . If you are n’t work with a versed real estate federal agent , it ’s always fresh to hire a real estate lawyer before you make an offer on land . An attorney can assist with due diligence , review your purchase contract , note the fine mark and spot any possible complications before they rebel .
Do n’t skip this footstep — the relatively minimal cost of an attorney can save you lot of headache down the line .
Sometimes country ( particularly raw ground ) is seller financeable , in which case you should definitely hire a attorney to survey the condition of your transaction .
Do you need a lot loan to make the purchase possible?Compare the rates and requirements at several banks . draw loans are risky for banks to take on , so they ’re not as easy to get . They require higher down payments and have high interest rates with shorter refund term .
Learnhow a construction loan worksin my elaborated guide that covers everything you involve to know before you walk into a bank . If you work for yourself , come up out what to do toget O.K. for a construction loan while being self - employed .
A lot loanword can often be compact with a expression loanword if you ’ll start building on the country shortly after buying it , so this is worth explore with a bank to potentially save on closing costs ( and increase your chances of being approved for a loanword ) . loosely , the more better the country is , the lower your borrowing costs will be .
Do n’t let property taxis be a nasty surprisal next year . think that your taxes will go up once you build up , and rates for new grammatical construction may take issue from rates for older homes , even if they ’re comparable in time value . verify you live what the property revenue enhancement rates are in your country for brand - new home plate . ( This was something we did n’t check until halfway through the building loan process ! )
Despite all this , do n’t be deter from buying your dreaming property . Just go into it well - informed and your notecase ( and sanity ) will give thanks you !
View the Web report onthings to know before buying land .
