|
||||||||||||||||||||
| The next step is to select the lot on which your home will be built. Site selection or lot selection—the words “site” and “lot” can be used interchangeably—is a very important part of the home-building process because choosing the right lot according to objective criteria will help to ensure a successful project. Some people purchase a site or sign a contract to purchase a site before they establish a budget or engage the services of a builder. Taking the steps in this order isn't necessarily fatal to the project, but it can cause big problems in the design and cost estimating stages of building your home. The risk in securing a site before you select a builder is that the site may prove overly expensive to build on due to hidden factors. Rocky or wet soil conditions, erosion, the unavailability of utility services, easements or other restrictions on building might not be apparent to you. |
||||||||||||||||||||
 Already own your site?If you already own a site, you may want to hire a builder to check the building conditions to avoid any surprises. In the worst-case scenario, a lot can be so ill-suited for construction that building on it would be cost prohibitive for your budget. Site selection criteria include the size of the lot, restrictive covenants, the availability of utility services, soil conditions, topography, solar orientation, the location of electrical power lines and the proximity of the site to heavily trafficked highways, railroad tracks, waterways or an airport. |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Design aspects It's natural and appropriate for you to have some ideas about the type, style and size of the new home you want to have built; however, many aspects of the design can be determined by the site. That's why designing your home most likely should be delayed until after the lot is chosen. The location of rooms within your home, the orientation of your home with respect to sunlight, wind, water drainage, the location of the driveway and other design elements will be affected by the site. Some builders own or control the lots within a subdivision. In this situation, you probably shouldn't take the builder's word as an objective opinion on a site. A better course of action is for you independently to investigate the aspects of the site or hire a land expert to help you. To locate a land expert, refer to "engineers-land planners" in the local telephone directory. If a builder you don't wish to hire owns the home lot you want, you can try to buy the lot from that builder or ask your preferred builder to buy it for you. If the builder refuses to sell the site, your only choices will be to hire that builder or find another site you like. Buying the lot for your home may involve negotiating the price, the terms and conditions of the sale, any contractual contingencies and a deposit. Builders sometimes receive a discount on bulk lots purchased from a developer. In that case, you might be able to negotiate a pass-through of this discount from the builder for certain lots. |
||||||||||||||||||||
