4 Things to Consider when Selecting a Lot for Your Custom Home

Selecting a lot to build your custom home is one of the biggest and most important decisions you will make during the home building process. Do not rush this part of the process. Take your time, do your research and make sure you feel confident in your decision for where to build, especially if the desire is for this to be your “forever home”.

4 Things to Consider when Selecting a Lot for Your Custom Home

Tour various neighborhoods and select one that feels right for you

There tend to be 3 main components for assessing a neighborhood’s eligibility for home building and committing to live long-term -- schools, commute, and HOAs. Depending on the size, lifestyle, composition and overall preferences of your family, one may supersede another, or one may not be important at all. Talk it over with your spouse and/or other family members and decide what is most important to you in a neighborhood.

You will also want to take a general look around and get familiar with how the neighborhood looks during the day versus how it looks at night. Is the neighborhood clean and well kept? Is there a lot of traffic or is it a little quieter? Are there nice sidewalks and are the streets wide enough to create a conducive environment for safely spending time outdoors?

Not only do you want to look at the neighborhood itself, but also try to meet some of the neighbors and get an idea for who is in the neighborhood. Is it an older crowd or younger? Mostly singles and retired persons or mostly families with young children? You want to make sure the neighborhood you select is one where you will feel safe, comfortable and a sense of belonging.

You may also want to take an inventory for the resources, shopping centers and other community staples available in the area. Think about a typical week for you. What are some of the places you need easy access to? Does the neighborhood offer everything you need?

From an investment standpoint, it is also helpful to consider the overall growth potential for the area. This is especially important if your desire is for this home to be a 5-10 year home before selling and building something else intended to last you forever.

Evaluate traffic and noise in the area

Again, traffic and overall busy-ness of the neighborhood can play a big role in the determination of a neighborhood being the right fit for you and your family. If you are someone that needs quick and easy access to the freeway, a high traffic area might not be so bad. However, if you have small children and prefer a more quiet, subdued and suburban lifestyle, a high traffic area could be nothing but a major nuisance.

Additionally, precise location of a lot within a community is equally important. For example, cul-de-sacs tend to have less traffic than a corner lot or a home in the middle of the street. When looking at available lots, try to imagine your home on the property and envision what it would look and feel like to live there, all elements considered.

Assess the topography

You will want your builder to take a look at the land to determine its “readiness” for building and get his expert opinion on the quality of the land before making a decision. The builder and his/her team will be able to determine what kind of work needs to be done to prepare the land for laying the foundation, the first step of the construction phase.

It’s also a good idea to check for availability of utilities. If utilities are not already present, plumbing and electricity will need to be added and this could mean significant increases in costs. Make sure the land is equipped with all you need for building a home!

Imagine your home on the lot

Lastly, try to envision yourself and your family living in this neighborhood and on this exact lot within the community. Familiarize yourself with the surroundings and see if anything stands out that could potentially be problematic. You may also want to estimate the dimensions of your home so you can gauge the anticipated footprint of the home and see what size and shape you will have for your yard.