5 Things to Know Before Buying Land to Build Your Home

Building a home is an exciting process, and purchasing land is most likely your first step. However, there are several important steps to take before you purchase any property. Keep reading to learn all you need to know before buying land to build your home.

Zoning

Make a visit to the Zoning department in your country. It will help for you to have one of the following items with you to help the zoning agent locate the right property: address, parcel number, a survey of the property or an address of the property next door. Your visit to zoning should clarify what is allowed and what specific limits apply to a residential or commercial project. They should also verify if the property is in a flood zone and or if it has wetlands. You can build in a flood zone, but you will be required to carry flood insurance, which can add up quickly. However, you cannot build in wetlands and you are very limited on how much you can disturb the landscape in wetland areas.

Property Survey

When you find a property that you want to buy, always ask for a survey. If the owner does not have one you can go to the county records office and request a copy. It will cost you 5 to 10 dollars, but you need it to confirm lot size, and to find out if there are any easements on the property, if there are any wetlands or a flood zone it will give you more detail on where it is on the property.

Covenants

If the property is in a subdivision there are most likely covenants that tell you the do's and don'ts of building in that development. Some developments also require plan approval, meaning the board or the homeowners association has to approve your plan and home design before you can build. If you don't like the idea of having covenants or restrictions, it may be best to consider purchasing elsewhere.

Utilities

If you are building within city limits or within a development, there will likely be existing water and sewer services offered. If that's the case, find out if there is a tap or meter fee. If you will need to drill a deep well and install a septic system in a South GA, you should budget $10,000 to $12,000 for both.

Site Evaluation

If you have an idea of where you would like to place your home on the property, it's a good idea to see if that part of land has any slope. The cost on foundations can grow very quickly due to slope of land as there will be more fill-dirt required to even out the area for your foundation.

We hope you'll find this information helpful, but you can always reach out to our team if you have any questions. We will gladly meet you on the site to evaluate the property you're considering before you take the steps to purchase.