How to Buy Land

Posted by on Thursday, June 28th, 2018 at 10:08am.

There are thousands upon thousands of articles out there about buying a home (lots of which you can find right here!), but what if you do your best research and still just can’t find your dream home? There is rarely a home out there that will check every box for you—that is, unless you decide to buy a vacant piece of land and build your dream home yourself.

But before you starting looking at house plans, it’s important to know the do’s and don’ts of land purchases. Whether you’re buying vacant land to build a home for your family or you hope to sell the plot for a profit in the future, be sure you keep these basic tips in mind.

1. Figure out what the land’s zoning ordinances

Before you sign on the dotted line, you’ll need to check with the city or county to see what type of zoning is on the land you wish to purchase. Even if you think you’ve found the perfect piece of land, there may rules on what can be built there! The code might specify industrial use, or retail, or agricultural, or something other than what you need. It’s better to be safe than to be stuck with a hunk of land that’s useless to you. Zoning and other land regulations can be accessed through public records at your local zoning office or city hall.

2. Get a survey and proper testing

Just like you can’t skip the inspection when you buy a home, you can’t skip the survey for your land purchase. A plot of land needs to be subjected to tests and checks to ensure you know what you’re buying and that you’ll be able to build on it. The environmental testing shows any contamination in the soil that could prevent you from building a house there. You’ll also want to have the land tested for the soil condition and to see if it has potential for flooding. The survey also identifies the boundaries of the land, which you’ll need to know before you build and just in case a discrepancy comes up with future neighbors.

3. Be sure to check on utilities

Water is just a little bit important. You might take water access, electricity and other modern conveniences for granted when you buy an existing home, but if you’re building your own on vacant land, those aren’t always guaranteed! Find out the depth of your water table and determine the difficulty of digging. If the ground is mostly rock, it can be expensive to bring electricity, telephone or cable services to the property if they are not already established nearby. Also be sure to check that you can install a septic system if you’re unable to hook up to a sewer system.

4. Look into financing options if you don’t have the cash to foot the bill

Most land purchases are done in cash, but if you don’t have that kind of money, there are some loan options out there for you. Not every lender offers these options, and the ones that do might have a larger interest rate than what you’d find when buying a home. Be sure you’re not biting off more than you can chew!

5. Consider the value of homes in the neighborhood

If you want to build a McMansion in a neighborhood of cottages, you may not have the resale value you’re looking for. Beyond that, if you’re looking at getting a construction loan, you might get denied if the cost of the land combined with the cost to build is significantly more than home values in the area.