Pick Lot For Custom Home

Designing and building a custom home is an exciting and stressful process. There are many decisions that have to be made. One of the biggest is picking the lot on which the house will be built. Custom home builders will tell you that this is probably the biggest decision. You can change anything in the house but you can’t change location. To make sure you pick the best lot for your new luxury custom home consider these items.

School Districts

If you have children in school consider the school district the lot falls under before buying. Public school quality can change drastically even if only a street divides it. You might also not want to move your kids out of their current school so consider that when looking. Even if you don’t have children, school districts matter. Being located in a good school district is a huge plus when it comes to selling. Families with kids are usually willing to pay more if a house is in a good district.

Neighborhood Safety

The last thing you want is to build a beautiful home in an unsafe neighborhood. This could lead to all sorts of problems both during and after the build. Construction equipment could get stolen and your finished home would be broken into. Look at crime rates but also the state of other homes in the area. When in doubt, always trust your gut. 

Commute and Transportation

Building a luxury custom home is great but if you spend hours commuting to and from work will you ever have time to enjoy it? Consider how long the commute not only to work but other amenities will be if you purchase a lot. Also think about public transportation like buses, subways, and taxis.

Traffic is also something to consider. You might not want your lot to be right on a busy road with lots of traffic. Traffic will make it harder to get anywhere but it will also increase noise pollution. 

Zoning

Zoning and building laws will usually be handled by your custom home builder. This is why it’s a good idea to involve them in helping you pick a lot location. They can tell you the specific zoning laws for the area. Things like building permit costs and how big you can build will all be affected by these.

Lot Size and Shape

Most people think of the lot size but not many consider the lot shape. These two things will make a big impact on what type of home your custom home builder can make for you. A narrow lot will call for a narrow home. A smaller lot will mean either a small home or a smaller yard. Things like privacy, layout, and landscaping will all be affected by shape and size so consider that before purchasing a lot.

Soil and Environment

A custom home builder will also do a soil analysis before building on a lot. This is done to determine if the land is sound for building. Other things like irrigation and sun and wind exposure will all be looked at. Slope and access to utilities should also be considered when picking a lot. Some of these things may impact the layout and design of the house.

Conveniences

Some people like to build their custom home away from the bustle of downtown Toronto. Others like to capitalize on the multiple conveniences that city living offers. If amenities like shops, restaurants, parks and other items matter to you look at the distance to them from your lot. Also, think about how close common places you visit are like friends and family. 

Value

Lot value is a big thing to think about when purchasing. The good news is that for Toronto most places are extremely valuable thanks to the hot real estate market. Look at projections to see how much the neighborhood value is expected to go up or down in future years. This could impact resale value or even the quality of people that move in next door.

The price of the lot will also impact your overall budget. If you spend a lot on the land you may have less to spend on the actual home. But you can always change or add to a home later on while you can’t change the location. Finding the right balance will take some talk between you and your custom home builder.

Neighborhood Demographic

Don’t just look at the lot, look at the neighborhood its in. Is it full of young families or university students? Is it mainly working class or upper class? These people will be your neighbors and each brings with them advantages and problems. It’s always a good idea to consider whom you’ll be living next to before you move in.

 

The best way to ensure you pick the right lot for your home is to include your custom home builder in the process. They will be able to advise you on the best course of action with their years of experience. Contact us today to talk about building your luxury custom home or finding the perfect lot and location for it.