What You Must Know When Building Your Dream Home
One of the greatest American dreams has always been of owning land.
From the crossing of the Atlantic by brave Europeans, to the migrations of Western expansion, migrations into the cities, then out to the suburbs, and now into exurbia, Americans have a love affair with land.
Now that you’re ready to purchase your own piece of heaven, and build your Dream Home, in the best place for you to live, there are some things to keep in mind to make sure you don’t wind up with a cup full of heartache.
Builders Beware: How to Build Your Dream Home in Your Best Place in the Carolinas
The first step in building a new home or buying an existing home is evaluating the site.
Look at the topography of the site.
- Is it very steep?
- Will you be able to get up a driveway in possible snow?
- What type of exposure is the site optimized for?
Most home owners want southern exposure. It has a “warming” affect in the winter and makes for a nice bright home year round. So you’ll want to make sure the southern side of the site isn’t crowded with trees.
Do your research on zoning regulations and restrictions.
- What are the set-backs?
- Are there any large developments planned for or applied for in the area?
Consider the water table height and the drainage of the site. If the water table is too high, having a basement is a bad idea. If the drainage is poor you may want to select another site, or risk flooding.
Are you in a flood plain or wetlands?
Both are signs of a poor site. A good indicator is the number of pine trees on the lot. Pine trees avoid wetlands, and you should too.
Find out where the utilities are regarding your site.
- Where’s the closest public sewer and water connection?
- Will you have a well and septic system?
- Where are the electric lines?
Having a perk test done, and a well drilled can be expensive.
If there is a well in place, find out how many gallons per minute it provides, to get an idea of how much water you’ll have on hand.
Also consider the area the site is in.
Are the schools good?
Even if you don’t have children this will affect your re-sale value and property taxes.
- Are you close to a large city?
- Are there any restrictions on what you can build on the property?
The most important part of buying a piece of land or a home is to get title insurance right off the bat. If you don’t, you may be liable for a previous owner’s misdeeds.
If there are liens on the land or home, without title insurance, they’ll wind up becoming your responsibility. Make sure you update the title report and do a title search.
After you find a suitable site, it’s time to set the stage for construction.
Now let's read about the Construction Phase of building Your dream home in the Carolinas.
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About Bob Bencivenga
 Bob Bencivenga |
Bob Bencivenga is a professional site locator and location analyst for major corporations. Bob researches the growth of NC and SC to find the Best Places to Retire or Relocate that are still affordable. |
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