What to Consider When Building a Home

Building a home on a piece of land is a lot more difficult than you might think. Today we will discuss a few things to consider before starting the home building process. 

Topography

Topography is probably the most important thing to think about before building. One thing you should ask yourself is, “Is the land capable of having a home built on it?” Whether the land is made up of rock, clay, black soil, or hills. Black soil can cause your home to shift very quickly. A loam soil is ideal for building a home. Consider what vegetation is near where you want to build your home. You will need to account for this cost when looking at your budget. Clearing land can be done by a professional or you can do it yourself if you already have the right equipment to do so. Consult with your builder to confirm the best option. 

Electricity

Do you have electricity on your property? If you do not have electricity running to your home,  your electrician will need to install a few things like a power poll, breaker box and much more. The cost will vary, but the main one is the electric company’s policies. Distance from the nearest power pole to the house location – the greater the distance, the more wire, trenching, etc., the greater the cost. Whether or not they have to install a new transformer (the big can-like device on the pole that converts the voltage from a higher transmission line voltage down to the 240 volts that feeds your house). How many new poles they’ll have to set, how much wire they’ll have to run, and / or how long of a trench they’ll have to dig. How much vegetation they’ll have to clear. Whether the power will come to your house from overhead or underground wires.

Internet

Speaking of electricity, you will also want to find out which internet companies can provide you with WiFi out on your land. When you are far enough away from city limits, you may have fewer options when it comes to getting internet access. This is important for many reasons such as working from home, being out of range from cell phone towers, wanting access to streaming services like Netflix, getting a hold of emergency personnel could lead to a lot of issues as well. 

Water

Water is an essential. There are many companies that are willing to work with you to do a good job digging a well. Consult your realtor for suggestions on who to contact for this project. Drilling a well costs $5,500 for an average depth of 150 feet. Most projects range between $1,500 and $12,000, but could be Another thing to consider is if you do not have to dig a well, will the city provide water services to your property?

Sewer

If the property you are wanting to build on is not already served by a sewer, you will need a septic system. If you know that municipal water is available on the property, chances are the property is also served by a sewer system. Sewer systems typically exist in areas of high population densities. On the other hand, if the land must rely on a well for water, or if it’s outside of city limits in a rural or less populated area, you’ll probably need to install a septic system.

Fencing

Fencing is also a major thing to think about before building your new home. If you are building on a larger piece of land you will most likely want to install barbed wire or another type of fencing that is not too costly. Fencing is important if you plan to have livestock. Check out the fencing video posted on our Youtube page to see the different options that you can choose from. 

Upkeep

Before building your dream home, make sure you consider what the cost of upkeep will be for your land and home. This could be a small or large number depending on the size of your land. 

Driveway

Another thing to consider is whether you will need to install a driveway or road on your property. What type of driveway would you want? Gravel, cement, asphalt, etc. All of these have different costs associated with them so you should choose what is best for you. 

While this might be a lot of things to think about, it is crucial that you take the time to consider each of these and more before building your dream home.