Choosing Your Perfect Lot: 15 Key Considerations

Working with a custom home builder is an exciting opportunity to create a living space that suits your lifestyle and preferences. One of the most critical aspects of the building process is selecting the right lot. While there are many things to consider when choosing a homesite, taking the time to do your research and carefully consider your options can help you make the right decision. In this article, we'll discuss the top 15 things to consider when choosing a lot for a new home.

1. The Direction the House Will Face

When it comes to choosing a perfect lot for homebuilding, the direction of the house is important. It's all about the sun! The direction a house faces can significantly impact its energy efficiency. In the northern hemisphere, south-facing homes are more efficient than those facing north or east.

2.  How Close It Is to Shops and Schools

If you're looking for a lot to build on, you'll want to consider how close it is to shops and schools. This will help you determine if the location suits your family's needs. If you want to be close to everything—including the coffee shop, grocery store, and your child's school—you'll need to find an area with all of those things within a 5-mile radius.

3. What the Traffic Is Like

The traffic on a street can be an important factor to consider when choosing your perfect lot. If a street is particularly busy, it can be hard to get around, especially if you have kids or pets. It's also important to consider whether the traffic flow is consistent throughout the day.

4. Development Plans for the Area

It's important to research the building and development plans for the area and surrounding lots. While it may not be evident when looking at an undeveloped area, traffic patterns and future development can significantly impact your quality of life. Consider what is around the lot currently and what potentially will be there.

How busy is the street likely to be in a few years? What are the zoning restrictions for setbacks, how high you can build, and what pets you can have? Are all the lots around you zoned for residential, or is there a potential for businesses to be closer than you’d like?

5. Features of the Neighborhood

When choosing a lot for your new home, you want to ensure you get the best possible version of all the features that matter to you and your family. The neighborhood is important. You want to ensure the area is safe, quiet, and has a good reputation.

Are the houses in the neighborhood well-maintained? Do they have nice landscaping? Are there any signs of crime or vandalism? This will help give you an idea of what kind of neighbors you might have if you choose this particular lot.

6. Structures That Might Block Your View

If you're building a home, you want to know that your view will be perfect. But before you choose a lot, make sure it has no structures that might get in the way. There are lots of things that can block your view and make it less than perfect. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Fences

• Decks

• Outbuildings

• Light posts

• Shady trees or bushes 

7. Trees & Shrubs

Does the lot have any trees on it? This can be good or bad, depending on whether you want trees in your yard. If you have the right trees and shrubs in your yard, they can help to protect your home from harsh winds, provide shade in the summer and winter, and add a beautiful backdrop to your property.

8. Soil Type

Have the soil tested by a soil engineer, as some soil types can expand and move, potentially compromising your home's structural integrity. Soil tests can reveal whether your lot has clay or sand-like soil, which affects how well it drains in wet weather.

9. Zoning Restrictions

Check for zoning regulations in the area. Zoning restrictions are laws that govern what you can and cannot build on your lot. These can be complicated and vary widely from place to place, so it's important to do some research before committing yourself to a piece of land.

10. The Slope of the Lot

The lot's slope is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a building site. The slope affects drainage, impacting the home's foundation, walkways, landscaping, and more. Standing water on the property attracts insects and can be a breeding ground for pests, so choosing a lot with natural drainage is important.

11. The Lot’s Shape (Square, Rectangular, Elongated)

The shape of the lot is another critical factor to consider. Despite having the same area, two lots with the same square footage may not be buildable. A long, narrow lot may not be as usable as a square one. The shape of the lot impacts where the home is situated and the size of the front, side, and rear yards.

12. Access to Utilities

When looking for your perfect lot, you'll want to ensure it has access to the necessary utilities. That means water, sewer, electricity, and natural gas. You also want to be sure that all of these utilities are located on your lot or within a reasonable distance from it.

13. Property Taxes

Find out the typical property taxes for the homes in the area. Property taxes are based on the assessed value of your property, which is determined by the county in which you live. This value can change yearly, depending on how much your home has increased in value since it was first built.

14. View

A view can make all the difference when it comes to setting up your dream home and creating an environment that makes you happy. If your lot is near a mountain range or wooded area, you’ll have views of nature and can watch the sunrise early in the morning.

15. Easements

Ensure you know any easements that could restrict how your property can be used and who can access it. Easements are a common part of property law in the United States. They're essentially rights to use land owned by another party, and they can be used for various purposes, such as to gain access to public utilities or construct a driveway.

OYL Homes Helps You Choose the Right Home Site With Research

At OYL Homes, we are dedicated Maryland home builders. We can help you choose the right lot for you, and we'll build a home that is exactly what you want. We've been in the business for over a decade, and our team is dedicated to helping you find the perfect homesite for your dream home.

If you're ready to take the next step toward building the home you've always dreamed of, contact us at (833) 289-6954 or build@oylhomes.com. We’re here to help make your dream a reality.