Evaluating New Home Building Sites

Here are some characteristics that you may want to consider when evaluating new home building sites:

Access:  Will the home site be easy to access?  Is it located off a busy road?  Is it difficult and/or dangerous to enter or leave the proposed site due to heavy traffic, street design and /or visual barriers?  How do you get to the building site?  Will the driveway or road be easy to maintain?

Expandability:  Does the home site allow for all the things you want to do or want add.  Consider gardens, landscaping and future buildings.  Try to view the area completely finished with all the features you want or need.

Future development:  What is the future development plans near you site?  What is the zoning of adjacent properties?  Multifamily, commercial or manufacturing do they generate a lot of noise and light.  Can you subdivide your site?  Check to see if any nearby streets or roads is going to be widened causing an increase in traffic and noise.  Visit the town, city, state or municipal planning department.

Gardens and landscaping:  If you are planning a garden or extensive landscaping consider the soil quality.  You can move in better soil if required but if you plan to do this check the site for access.

Pollution:  Consider noise, air and water.  Is your site protected from high levels of noise?  Is there a possibility of water contamination by nearby activity?  Are there any factories, landfills, dumps or other upwind air polluters’ close enough to the site where you would receive odors when the wind is just right?  Are there gas wells in the area that could emit prohibited odors?  Check for environmental contamination.  Is the site near a standing body of water, which breeds mosquitoes and/or emits odors in the summertime?  Is the site near any electric high voltage lines?

Site slope:  Look for sites that allow air and water to drain away from the site naturally.  Visit the site during a rainstorm and observe conditions, visit with neighbors and inquire as to water runoff.  Is the property in or near a flood zone?

Soil:  Build on dry, well drained soil.  Will the site require a large amount of fill dirt to level the site to build on?  For strong foundations you want stable firm soil under the house, preferably sand, gravel or a good loam. Soils with clay and hardpan can hold water and expand when they freeze and slide when wet.

Sunlight:  Are there trees or buildings that will interfere with future access to light?  Can a building be designed to take advantage of both sunlight and views?

View:  Consider the view or lack of view from all areas of the home.

Water and waste systems:  Will this site be a problem for water lines, well placement, and septic drain field or sewer lines?  Are additional costs involved?  Check with local heath agencies for permit requirements and talk to installers for well and septic options.

Weather protection:  Which direction do storms come from?  Is the site fully exposed or does it get some protection from trees or land?  How has the local vegetation fared? Some sites will also need to consider fire, flash flood, and landslide and earthquake protection.

As you can see there is a little bit more to it then just looking at an empty lot and saying "yea looks good" use the above information when evaluating new home building sites.