Dreaming of building a custom home? If so, you’ll need to find a place to build one first.
Before you start fantasizing about the features and furnishings you’ll include in your dream home, you should envision the place where you imagine this dream house to be located. After all, before you can start building a home you’ll need a place to put it.
So how do you go about finding the perfect lot for your custom home? We have some tips to point you in the right direction when it comes to purchasing property for a custom build.
How to Choose a Piece of Land for a Custom Built Home
There are a few steps involved in finding a piece of land where you can build a custom home. Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect in terms of a process.
First, find an area that meets your needs.
To start out, you should select a region or a few smaller locales that you’re potentially interested in. Do some research about the areas and, if possible, visit them to get to know more about them.
When narrowing your search area, you’ll want to consider the things that you’d typically consider when searching for a new home. These aspects include (but are not limited to):
- School district
- Taxes
- Proximity to conveniences
- Proximity to your employment
- Neighborhood
- Area safety
- Geography
Having a few general areas or communities in mind that you’d prefer will make the search for a lot a bit easier. Remember, if you ultimately can’t find a lot in the area you initially wanted, it’s totally fine to go back to the drawing board and select another region that might work out better.
Thinking about building a custom home in Upstate NY? Here’s some information on a few of our favorite areas:
Next, start the search for available lots in that area.
Once you’ve selected a region where you think you’d like to build, there are a few ways you can go about finding available lots.
Work with a Realtor
Often times, realtors manage listings for homes as well as for pieces of property. If you’re shopping for available lots in a certain region, a realtor can be a helpful resource.
Work with a Custom Builder
Often times, custom builders build homes in clusters or communities within a region. If you’ve chosen an area that you’d like to call home, start looking for a lot by researching the custom home builders that work in that region. You may be able to partner with a custom builder to find an available lot in one of their communities that you love.
Wondering how to choose a home contractor to work with? We have some tips to help you with that here.
Look for Lots for Sale
You can also explore the region you’ve chosen on your own by driving around and looking for land for sale or custom built communities with available lots. You could also check local newspapers and ads online to learn about new listings.
Finally, review the lot with a home builder or civil engineer.
Once you’ve found a lot that you’re interested in, you’ll want to make sure that the lot is okay to build on. You’ll also want to ensure that a qualified individual has reviewed the plot and the plans for it to be completely certain that you can move forward with building a custom home on the land you’ve selected.
The lot should be reviewed by a home builder or civil engineer. It may be a good idea to have a local zoning representative review the property and your plans for it as well. You’ll want to be completely certain that the land itself is fit for building on, and that what you plan to build on the land is both feasible and approved by local authorities.
Find the Perfect Lot for Your Dream Home
Ready to take the first step towards building a custom home? Start your search for the perfect lot today!
Looking for additional insight about what to expect when it comes to building a custom home? Check out the following resources to learn more!
Do I Need an Interior Designer to Build a Custom Home? – Find out if you should plan to hire a professional to design your home, or if you’re ready to handle the designing yourself!
Build or Buy? – Weighing your options when it comes to building a custom home or purchasing an existing home? We’ve got some insight to help point you in the right direction.