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Are you looking for the perfect piece of land for your dream home? It can seem like a big task, and there are many things to look out for. Getting the right site is the start of your build journey, so here are some tips on what to look for in your land…
Location
The first thing to consider may seem obvious, but there may be more to it than you think - Finding the right location for your new home. Are you looking to make the move to the country, away from the hustle and bustle? Or perhaps you are looking to move to a semi-rural area to be near to family? You may of found a site with perfect views – but there are some other key things to check, such as seeing if the area is prone to bushfires or flooding. While we work with you when designing your home to look at Bushfire Attack Levels (BAL) and Flood protection, it is a good idea to find out if the site you have found is in an area where these hazards could be a factor, so you are aware of any precautions or additions you will need to help protect your new home.
Site
So you’ve found the perfect location, now it’s time to look in detail at the site where your new home will be built. There a several things to consider to make sure you can build the home you want and that will suit your lifestyle needs – and so you know what’s possible when designing your home.
Soil can vary dramatically in different locations, so it is a good idea to take a look at what you will be building on at your site. For example, building on sandy soil can pose different challenges to soils full of clay. If the soil in the area is particularly reactive, it may mean that you will have to plan for adjustments to your finished home as it settles. You can often obtain soil reports from your local council, or get a soil test done for your site so you know exactly what you are dealing with.
The layout and topography of your site is another thing to take into account – to get the perfect orientation for your home, does it mean building on a sloping site? Or are the other features in the landscape that may cause an issue? We can help you to plan the layout and orientation of your home, as well as provide you with information on how we build on sloping sites, and what this may mean for the design of your home!
Something that people often miss when looking at land, is land contamination. Contaminated land is typically in areas that have been used for industrial or agricultural activities . This may limit the use of the site, or lead to increased costs to help solve the issues. While in most cases, land contamination is not a big issue, it is worth making sure that the site you are looking at is safe for you and your build. If this is a concern for your site, you can get a Contamination Report to identify what contaminants are present and, given the proposed use for the site, whether they pose a risk to human health or the environment.
Another often overlooked thing to consider when buying land is any entitlements or easements that may be present. Some sites will have stipulations attached to them to allow other land owners or official bodies a right to use part of the land. For example, if your site is located next to another home, there may be an easement that allows a neighbouring property to access their home through a track or carriageway on the site. Or there may be important pipework on your land that may need to be accessed for maintenance reasons. An Entitlement looks at what the land can be used for, and may have some guidelines for what kind of work can be performed on site. While these easements and entitlements will be stipulated on any contract, it is important to make sure that they won’t make an impact on you building your dream home.
Connections & Access
Finally, it is a great idea to make sure that you can get all the connections you need to your new home. Checking that it will be possible to run connections for electricity, water and plumbing to your home means there will be no surprises at the end of your build. While you can certainly plan ways to minimise your reliance on these connections, such as using water tanks and solar power, it is still very important to see what connecting your site to essential services will involve. This also means looking at access to your site, not just to make sure it is possible for companies to access your property to install connections, but also so that you know the best route, as well as any potential issues that may arise when your dream home arrives from our factory to your location.
While you should look out for these things when looking at buying land, it doesn’t mean it has to be a chore! Finding the perfect spot to make your new lifestyle a reality is incredibly exciting – and is just the beginning of your journey! Looking for a site allows you to begin to imagine what your new home will look like, as well as letting you see the views and surroundings that you will be waking up to every day!
Manor Homes is with you every step of the way, and are here to help you from start to finish – so if you have any questions or queries about any of the above when you are looking at land, we are happy to explain and discuss any potential issues, as well as work with you to provide advice and solutions – so that you can be sure that we can help you achieve your lifestyle vision.
Get in touch with us today to find out more and see how we can help you!
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