As you consider engaging a custom home builder to build your dream home, you likely have a lot of questions–and one that probably tops your list is, “Where can I build my custom home?”
With a lot of builders, the answer is: only in a limited number of existing neighborhoods in which the home builder is affiliated.
This can dramatically limit your options for many important factors involving your new home such as location, neighborhood, amenities, etc.
However, some custom home builders do offer clients the ability to build on their own land, either a parcel that they already own or a lot that they’re looking to buy. For the picky homebuyer, building on your own lot using a custom home builder can offer the greatest chances of realizing your dreams for your new home.
Benefits Of Building On Your Own Lot
Many of the benefits of being able to build on your own land are self-evident.
Instead of being constrained in location, you are given the option of choosing any neighborhood within the home builder’s working area.
Whether you want to be close to downtown or far out in the country, the option is yours. This means you also have control over the amenities offered by your future neighborhood, from proximity to parks to school district zoning to homeowners’ association status.
Equally important, you can choose the type of land that best suits the home that you want to build.
Are you dreaming of a quiet and secluded respite from the world? Perhaps a lot that is wooded and rural will best suit your needs. Maybe you know exactly the kind of home that you want–for example, a split-level ranch–and would like to find the lot that works best with the architectural style that you have in mind.
In short, the reason to go the custom home route for many people means working with their home builder to create their own unique vision from scratch–and the opportunity to build on your own lot plays a key role in fulfilling this vision.
Avoid The Pitfalls When You Build On Your Own Land
Of course, like so many other parts of the home building process, it’s easy to make costly mistakes when choosing to build on your own lot. The right custom home builder, however, can help you steer clear of these common pitfalls.
What exactly can go wrong when choosing a lot? Well, a lot, no pun intended.
What looks to be an easily buildable parcel of land to your eyes may be revealed to have many expensive issues when looked at by someone with experience building custom homes. This is even truer if you’re looking for a lot in a more rural or less-developed area.
You may not be thinking about access to electricity and natural gas or sewer and water connections, but all of these can be surprisingly pricey problems with lots outside an existing home community.
If you are looking to build on your own lot inside of an existing community, basic utilities like electricity, sewage, water, and natural gas are unlikely to become issues. But, that doesn’t mean there can’t be problems with the lot that your inexperienced eyes overlook.
For example, how will you know if your potential lot needs support from below-ground piers for the home’s foundation? Will you be able to tell if the land parcel you’re considering needs expensive and lengthy excavation work? Do you understand the ins and outs of the easements, property line restrictions, architectural guidelines, and zoning lines that affect your prospective lot?
This might all sound scary, but it’s not a reason to run away from the chance to build on your own land–whether on a parcel you already own or a lot that you’re looking to buy. Instead, all of these potential issues are why it’s so critical to partner with the right custom home builder.
A custom home builders’ experience and track record can offer you a host of advantages when you want to build on your own lot.
Benefits of working with a custom home builder include:
- Expert help in locating the land that best suits your needs
- Guidance through issues like the placement of the home
- Insight into how outbuildings, pools, wells, or other amenities will work
- Identifying any issues present with the septic system
If you own your land already, a skilled custom home builder can still help. Even if there are significant issues with the land, a home builder who is experienced working with their customers’ existing land will be in the best position to find solutions that will save you time and money while delivering the results you want.
Let Highland Builders Help You Build On Your Own Lot
At Highland Builders, we are happy to build on your existing land, to assist you in finding a lot that meets your exact specifications, or to point you towards an excellent land parcel in one of our existing established neighborhoods.
The beginning phase of every project that we take on consists of an evaluation of prospective land lots between the customer and Kevin Kittel, the owner of Highland Builders. We work to make sure that every issue with the lot is concerned and addressed, resulting in preliminary plans and specifications that fit into your budget.
Thanks to our ability to develop entirely custom home plans or adapt existing plans to meet our clients’ exact needs, we are uniquely positioned to make the home of your dreams work on your existing lot.
While we think there are many factors that distinguish us from other custom builders, it’s our ability to work with clients to make their own land work that sets us apart–and we consider this a standard service, not an extraordinary extra!
