Vacant Land Considerations

A block of vacant land is where it all begins, and so could be considered to be the most important decision to be made. When you purchase land with the intention to build, you’ll need to give it real thought and consideration. Here are the key points:

Land Size

Most people know the type of home they want to build before they find the right block of vacant land. Make sure your vacant land is big enough for your ambition. Think about shape: do you want a long narrow block with great potential for garden space, or do you want a squarer block that allows an elaborate home design?

Slope & Soil Type

Sloping land is harder and more expensive to build on. A gentle slope may allow a cut-and-fill type slab preparation whereas a steep slope may only be suitable for split level homes.

Think about water run-off and soil, too. A soil test will tell you what type of construction is possible.

While sloped ground is generally cheaper than more even blocks, the extra cost of construction may outweigh any saving on land purchase costs.

Neighbourhood

You are likely to be committing to long term residence in your new home, so it must be in a good neighbourhood. Make sure that you are happy with the commuting distance to work (you’ll be making the trip 10 times a week), and look for amenities such as transport; shops; schools; entertainment; restaurants; parks; etc.

Ask yourself if your home design ‘fits in’.

Services & Infrastructure

Most estates have services connected, but this isn’t always the case. Confirm the existence of water; sewage (septic tanks can add thousand to construction costs and ongoing bills); electricity; telephone; and broadband. If any of these basic amenities are missing, they might be connectable, but it could also be expensive to do so.

Easements & Convenants

Visit the local council and check the land title certificate to make sure there are no restrictions to building or any encumbrances on your block.

Covenants

Many estates have strict covenants. Read through these and ensure that no clauses impact upon your building design. Common covenants include restrictions on minimum and maximum home size, for example.

Budget

Remember the more you spend on buying and assessing land, the less you will have to spend when building. Make sure your budget is realistic and that you can be pre-approved for the total cost of land and building. We employ techniques that make your loan more affordable and increase your cash flow, letting your finances extend a little further.

Finance

When you have chosen your block of land it’s time to select the right type of finance. You’ll need to factor in construction estimates, budget, additional invoices for trades outside of the main build, and repayments whilst building.

There is much more to consider than the purchase price and your deposit. Make sure you don’t make the mistake of agreeing to finance with debilitative clauses attached (such as restrictions on construction) or borrowing capacity down the line. We’ve witnessed such clauses stop people from building the home they had hoped to build.

Contact us now and we’ll begin the process to make sure your loan is not only most suited to your land but also your planned construction.

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Once again, many thanks.”

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Job well done!”

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