What To Consider When Selecting A Homesite (Lot)

So you have a floor plan that fits your needs. Now What?

It is time for you to select a homesite to build on. While there are many considerations and questions to ask your sales consultant, these are the top 5 most important things to ask/things to do to ensure you get the right lot for your new home.

TIP #1 – How Does Your Home Fit On The Lot

Ask your sales consultant to do a lot fit diagram for you. This may include using a transparency (yes those still exist) on a pre formatted lot diagram. This will show you the build lines, easements, and other restrictions your lot may have. This will allow you to measure out if you have room for any future improvements you may want to make including pools, sheds, and patio extensions. In some communities this will also allow you to chose the side of the home your garage is on, as well as move the home side to side and front to back to maximize the space in your back yard or driveway.

TIP #2 – Walk The Site To Get A Feel For Space

Before deciding to go under contract or start the building process, take the lot fit diagram or floor plan and go spend some time on the lot. Find the edges of the lot (usually stakes or pins) and measure out how the home will fit on the site. Look at the street in front of the home and note any sewer drains, low points on the street, or impediments that may cause issues with the layout of the driveway or swing of the home (left or right garage). Also mark the back patio from the street and ensure that the yard space is adequate for your needs. Spending time walking your site now can save you headache and heartache in the future.

TIP #3 – What Does Your Home Back Up To

Does your lot back up to a road, power lines, a neighbor, a lake, or something that has yet to be determined? All of these things can play into the pricing of the lot, and can impact the way your live in your new home in the future. Sometimes backing to a street or power lines is exactly the right thing, other times it may not be what you are looking for. The decision comes down to how you plan to live in the home and what is important to you. For example; if you are concerned with privacy for the pool you plan to build, having not back neighbor due to power lines may be perfect for you. In the opposite example, if you want a great view then you may not want to back up to undeveloped land that could have anything on it in the future.

TIP #4 – Sun Exposure

Which way does the front door face? Will you have morning or evening sun on the back patio? You can read more about this in our Does Sun Exposure Matter article, but in the end it is about how you plan to live in the home. I have built many homes for people who wanted the evening sun in their back yard (Yes even in Texas), because they enjoy the sun on their pool in the afternoon/evening. There are options such as sun shades and canopy cabanas to allow you to provide shade while catching rays in the afternoon if that is what you prefer. Do not let sun exposure be the absolute in determining the lot you choose, but keep it in mind when thinking about how you live.

TIP #5 – Cost/Pricing Vs. Value To You

Many builders place premiums on their most valuable lots. This allows for them to spread the cost out, and cost average the land in each section developed. While the more desirable and larger lots are worth more money, make sure you are not overpaying for the lot based on the community average lot pricing. Some things to consider when it comes to this are the frontage size, total square footage, and placement. When you look at sites on the water, all are definitely not created equal. You cannot expect to pay the same for a lot on the water in a 45′ frontage section vs an 80′ frontage section, and vise versa. The homesites that allow for larger homes and feature luxury product will have the higher lot premiums.

In Summary

When selecting a lot for your new home there are many factors to consider. These 5 tips will help you make a decision on if that site is right for you and the way you live. Take time to think about exactly what you are looking for, and decided what the most important factors are in the process for you (Home, Homesite, Finishes). This will help determine your lot selection as well as how much you spend on it. Keep in mind that there is no exact science for selecting a lot, and that depending on the community, frontage size, and floor plan you choose, there may be restrictions on what lots are available to you. If you have the opportunity to get in at the beginning of a section, that is normally the best time to get exactly (or as close to as possible) what you want.