Don't Make These Mistakes When Buying Land—My Experience

Buying land isn't as straightforward as buying a house, but it doesn't have to be hard.

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The important thing is making sure you've done all your due diligence before you close on the property.

Today, I’m going to spell out exactly what you need to look for if you’re in the market to buy land (or if you’re simply curious about how we evaluated the land we’re building our house on).

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What comes first, the land or the architect?

01. If you ultimately want to achieve a net-zero home or one that meets certain energy-efficiency standards, it’s a good idea to start the journey with an architect or builder with experience in that industry. Learn more

Location and zoning

02. In real estate, location trumps all other characteristics because, well, if you don’t love where you live (or realize it’s too complicated to build on), it doesn’t matter if you can afford it. Learn more

Orientation and views

03. What shape is the lot? A square lot will give you many options for building and landscaping, whereas an odd-shaped lot will be more challenging to develop. Learn more

Road access

04. Road access considerations go beyond paved versus dirt. Believe it or not, it’s possible to buy a plot of land without having a legal way to drive to it, making you effectively landlocked. Learn more

Site challenges

05. The physical characteristics of the land will dictate what you can or can’t do, and how expensive it’ll end up being. Learn more