Building a new home is an exciting prospect for many people.
A new home will offer you: convenience, peace of mind of a brand-new home that’s never lived in, a sense of uniqueness, new technology integration, and a higher energy rating standard.
What is the first step? Picking your perfect block of land.
The process is simple; however, it requires thorough planning and consideration. First, you need to understand your financial position and an appropriate budget you could disburse. Then, it’s narrowing down the suburbs or locations you are interested in and finding the right block. Depending on the block of land you selected, it may have various impacts on your home design, build costs, and the build timeframe. Ensure that you understand the pros and cons of the land you select to prevent suprise construction and maintenance expenditures during and after the construction of your home.
Here are five things to consider when choosing your perfect block of land.
1. The estate and the land developer
When selecting a block of land, the foremost things to consider are a location that conforms to your lifestyle and convenience, the estate, and the land developer. These are the pivotal points in determining whether you will pick a perfect block of land.
Ensuring you are aware of the anticipated titling date for your chosen block of land to avoid potential delays as it can push out your construction planning. This also comes down to understanding your land developer, being aware of their previous projects, and whether some delays or complications occurred.
Additionally, estate amenities include a park, school, shopping centre, medical clinics, restaurants, etc., and its proximity could impact your family’s lifestyle. Also, consider if the estate has easy access to the freeway and public transport as well as privacy and noise concerns. It is recommended that you drive past the estate during the day to get a feel of the surroundings.
Let finds out what area of Geelong is best for your new home build.
2. Know your local council and developer requirements
Different Councils and Developers will have building stipulations that dictate the layout, offsets from boundaries, and appearance of your home design.
There might be limitations if you already have a preferred floor plan and façade in mind.
Furthermore, you should check if there are any overlays on your block of land. For instance, if your block of land is within an undeveloped area and has vegetation within the immediate vicinity, then most likely you are required to alter your building materials, which will affect the overall cost of your home.
3. Land Characteristics
Land characteristics include the dimension of the block, the fall, and the orientation of the land.
The fundamental part when choosing your land is knowing that it is suitable for your desired home design and that it fits. Do you need a wider frontage to fit your double garage? Do you need a deeper block of land to fits all the rooms and still give you a spacious backyard?
The fall and orientation of the land will also compromise the home design you’ve selected. The fall of the land can affect your site cost. For example, if the block of land is over 1 meter of fall, it will need to be cut and filled to levelling and might require a retaining wall. This can increase the overall building cost. On the other hand, land orientation will dictate the facing direction of your home, which could affect the utilization of natural lights and thermoregulation.
4. Seeking a Second Opinion from Enso Homes’ New Home Sales Consultant
As always, you should engage with a professional to discuss your building plan and potential acquisition of land. This is essential as it assists you with making better decisions.
Our Enso Homes’ New Home Sales Consultant will offer you a free consultation before you purchase your land. Our consultant will provide the following information to assist you with your decision-making:
- Analysing and interpreting all land-related documents including the Engineering Plan, Plan of Subdivision, Memorandum of Common Provisions, Building Envelope, and other land documents.
- Utilising our Geosite Siting program to illustrate how the house design you’ve chosen will fit on the block of land.
- Lastly, our consultant will provide beneficial advice and evaluation that will accommodate you in making your final decision.
5. Don’t forget to review your engineering plans and plan of subdivisions!
The Engineering Plan and Plan of Subdivisions are beneficial in allowing you to acquire more insights into the block of land. This includes the crossover locations, easements, slope, retaining walls, expected soil conditions, etc., which is paramount in helping you understand the suitability of the block.
Hopefully, these key points will provide you with better clarity when you choose your perfect block of land. If you have any other questions, please feel free to get in touch with Michael Badman – Enso Homes’ New Home Sales Consultant.
