How To Find a Building Site for Your New Home

   The first step in building a new home is to find a piece of land on which to put it.  There are many ways to find a potential building site and many factors to consider once you've found it.

1. What neighborhood do you want to live in?  Take some time to drive around several areas in which you might want to live.  If you see an empty lot, take notes on exactly where it is located, what you like about it and what you don't like.  If the property is listed with a realtor, jot down their name and phone number.  Consider the distance that you will have to drive to work, whether or not you will have to battle a lot of traffic and if the house you want to build will fit in with the existing homes.  If you have children, you'll also want to find out what school district the lot is in.  If you find a neighborhood that you like, but don't see any available lots, check the local newspaper listings and call some area realtors.
2. Is the lot developed?  The first thing to consider is if the lot is developed or undeveloped.  Developed land will be a much less expensive place to put a house.  In most cases, there are already existing streets, gas, sewer and electric lines.  You'll just need to hook your new home into the main pipes.  The disadvantage of this is that most developed lots were developed by a builder, which means that many of the lots may have already been sold and built on.  If you have your heart set on a quiet, rural setting, you'll most likely need to purchase an undeveloped lot.  An undeveloped piece of land is exactly what it sounds like - no gas, sewer or electric, possibly no streets and the land may or may not have been surveyed.  This can add a lot of expense to the cost of building your home.
3. Is the topography of the land suitable for your building plans?  If you want to build a house with a walk-out basement and the lot you're considering is completely flat, it will require a lot of excavating to make the land suitable for your house type.  In addition, by the time you're finished re-contouring the land, it may look out of place with the existing structures.  On the other hand, if you're planning to build a single-level ranch, a flat lot will be much easier to build on than a steeply sloping lot.