| I understand the excitement of the plan design | | | | size of septic field and system you can build and how |
| process and putting on paper their ideas for their | | | | many bathrooms you would be allowed per how |
| dream home, and let me share some insight on why | | | | many bedrooms. Your Realtor and local Heath |
| it is important to have your land purchased first. Here | | | | authority should be able to answer that question. A |
| are some considerations before sitting down with a | | | | perk test is used to see how the actual soil absorbs |
| plan designer: | | | | or retains water. A failed perk test means alternative |
| 1. Does the land/lot have any covenants you are not | | | | septic systems which can be very expensive. A city |
| aware of? What I mean by this is you should check | | | | lot will usually have a sewer system to tie into, but |
| with the previous owner, Realtor and County or City | | | | check with the Realtor or local planning department. |
| planning Department and see if there are any | | | | 6. Privacy. If you find a piece of property that has |
| restrictions or covenants on what you can actually | | | | steady traffic on the front street, you may change |
| build there. | | | | your mind on where you want your master bedroom |
| 2. What are the setbacks for the land/lot and how | | | | or living area to be. If you have plans already done, |
| will that affect the size and footprint of your | | | | this may be a re-draw. |
| proposed home? A setback is designated space, | | | | 7. Engineering. More and more States and Provinces |
| pre-determined by the local planning Department, | | | | are requesting engineering reviews on plans before |
| which is not available for your home to sit on. This is | | | | they will issue building permits. If you find land that |
| usually for right-of-ways for utilities, widening the | | | | may be of interest to you, research the local Building |
| roads, etc. So for example, if the lot you are | | | | Department and find out if structural or civil |
| considering is 50 feet wide and you have a 5 foot | | | | engineering is required. Better to find out now before |
| side yard setback, that means you have to take off | | | | you already have plans done that cannot be |
| 5 feet from each side leaving you 40 actual feet for | | | | engineered for that zone. |
| the width of the home foundation. This is an issue | | | | There are many variables in the owner/builder |
| also for a City lot where you may want a side | | | | process, especially if things are not thought out |
| garage. | | | | correctly or done in a specific order. I have seen too |
| 3. Are there height restrictions in the area? What is | | | | many clients spend thousands of dollars on dream |
| the maximum height of the roof from grade (level of | | | | plans only to have them restrict where they can find |
| the land) that you can build? May be a problem for a | | | | land, are too big for the lot they found, or just do |
| larger 2 story plan with a steep roof line. | | | | not take advantage of the views, slope of the land, |
| 4. Where are the views? Once you have the land | | | | area etc and end up either getting new plans or |
| and walk around it, you will get a pretty solid idea | | | | giving up altogether. |
| where you would like the kitchen, living areas and | | | | I am not saying that if you have a set of drawings |
| bedrooms to face on the lot. If you have a plan | | | | done that you cannot find the perfect lot for them |
| already, you may find that the existing drawing does | | | | or that you have done something wrong. What I am |
| not account for the right positioning or amount of | | | | suggesting, is that it would be easier and more |
| windows that would take advantage of the view. | | | | prudent in the early planning stages to have finding |
| 5. Sewer and septic. If this is an acreage lot, then | | | | land as the priority before plans and increase your |
| you need to see if the land has perked and what | | | | success for a great new home building experience. |