Constructing a New Home
In this column we will follow the progression of constructing a new home. There are hundreds of steps involved both prior to and during construction. I will address the major work stages and try to provide details that are commonly overlooked leading to delays and extra expense. It is critical in building a new home to have an experienced contractor with the proper systems and procedures to ensure that your new home is built on budget and meets your expectations. There is an old real estate saying "The three most important things in real estate are Location, Location, and Location". This holds true for selecting a building site for your new home, however there are an abundance of other factors that are equally important to location. You will need to do your research before buying that perfect piece of property. Many homeowners want a view of the mountains or the ski slopes, remember when considering location do not focus only on the view. Find out the easiest way to the nearest store or the post office. Consider driving distances to the places you visit most frequently. Take your time horizon into consideration, is this a home you will retire in? do you plan to have kids while living in this house?, if so, are schools readably accessible, and how do the children get to school? All of these questions will bring to mind additional questions that should be answered prior to determining a location and purchasing a lot. When you have selected an area you like make sure to find out about the neighborhood and the services available. Working with a professional real estate agent will help you gather the important information and make sure that nothing is overlooked. Investigate the services. Does the site have access to a community sewer system and water system or will you be required to drill a well and install a septic tank and leach field? Most city services will charge a fee called a "tap fee" to connect to the services, find out if they have been paid, they may cost $6,000 to $12,000 depending on the size of your house and will have to be paid before you can start construction. Find out about utilities. Is electricity readily available, how far will you have to go to connect to the nearest power and cable TV if desired. If you want to have these available you will have to pay to get them to the building site. Are the roads maintained by the county, town, or by a homeowners association? If there is a homeowners association what are the dues and what services do they provide? Most new subdivisions will have covenants that will determine what can and can not go on the property. These covenants are established to help maintain property values and are recorded at the counties Clerk and Recorders office. Make sure the size and style of the home you want to build is acceptable under the covenants. Many associations have architectural control committees that must approve your house plans in order for you to build. Some will even dictate a maximum and minimum house size, and they will require certain set backs from the property lines which will determine were the house can be built on the lot. Your Realtor can help you locate these and other important documents. When selecting you building site also take into consideration the physical characteristics of the site. Does it slope up or down? Will you have exposure to the sun? is it heavily treed ? and where will the driveway go? It is important that all of these and other questions are answered prior to purchasing a new home site. It can be extremely frustrating to find out you can¹t have the view you wanted because of set back restrictions or you can¹t build the size house you want because of the covenants.