Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing A Lot For Your New Home
If you want to build your dream home, then you will need to locate the perfect space for that house first. The available new construction lots in your area can differ a great deal depending on where you live. However, there are a few mistakes that you should avoid when choosing your lot, no matter where you live.
Skip The Corner Lot
Corner lots have often been seen as advantageous, and they were snatched up for decades. The lots did have some benefits. They allowed for a more private side and back yard, and some featured a front yard as well. Also, you can expect to have neighbors on only two sides of the property. However, there are a wide range of disadvantages to choosing this sort of lot. One of the biggest is the fact that the plot may actually be small. In recent years, larger plots like corner ones have been shaved down to make room for additional construction. In general, plots of land have shrunk by 13% since the 1970s. The average home sits on a lot that is only about .14 acres.
This issue is much more evident when you build a new home, since plots are sold with smaller acreage and you need to figure out how to make your home fit. If you have a smaller lot, then you can expect more noise from the nearby roadways and sidewalks. Individuals like to take shortcuts across corner lots as well, and your home may become the bus stop location for the adjoining streets.
Also, there are some tax drawbacks to owning a corner lot since you will have two times the assessments as they are often completed according to the road you live on. And you essentially live on two roads. Speaking or roads, since you are situated on two of them, you are more likely to have your home hit by a car. This fact may even raise your home insurance premiums.
Do Not Choose An Isolated Plot
If you want to build your home in an up and coming area, then you may have a variety of land plots to choose from. This may be a good thing if you are buying the property in a subdivision where numerous homes will be built at about the same time. However, if you notice that a vacant lot sits behind your home, for example, and in an a more broken up area, then this may be a bad thing. There are several issues to consider.
While the vacant lot may provide you with a wider and more scenic space, the area can quickly become overrun with weeds, garbage, and neighborhood kids. The weeds and garbage can encompass your property as well, and strangers may run through your yard to get to the vacant one. In some cities, homeless populations will set up residence on seemingly abandoned properties like overgrown lots.
If someone buys the lot, then a business may be created very close to your home. Also, a larger house that comes close to the property line may be something that you will see in the future. All of these things can turn your perfect home into a nightmare.
Choose a lot in a well-defined area that is mostly built up so you know exactly which structure will be located near your home. If you do decide on a larger plot that has open ones nearby, then you should do a few things first. You should make sure that the plot is zoned for residential use. It is zoned for agricultural or commercial use, then a farm or a business can be placed there.
Also, you want to find out of the plot is privately owned or owned by a company or corporation. Corporations and real estate companies will typically take good care of the properties and will meet municipal regulations in terms of upkeep.
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