Should You Buy A House Plan Before You Buy Land?
Should You Buy A House Plan Before You Buy Land? The simple answer is ‘NO’. Why? Land usually comes with restrictions and limitations that must be accommodated by the house plan. Those restrictions might include:
Possible Limitations Of Land
- Square footage: What impervious area is allowed on the lot?
- Number of bedrooms: If on a septic system, what can the system accommodate, and what does the building code allow?
- Height: Are there height restrictions imposed by a view, homeowner’s association, or code?
- Length and/or depth of house: What are the front, back, and side setback requirements from any boundary, wetland, or protected area?
- Zoning: Does the zoning of the lot impose specific requirements regarding house style, size, or other restrictions?
In addition to requirements imposed by the jurisdiction or property characteristics, which home will fit best on the property can vary. For example, is there a particular view that is available? Which home can best take advantage of that view? How will the driveway approach the location of the home and which house plan accommodates that that best? If the property is sloped, in which direction is it sloped and will the house plan be able to accommodate that slope? Will extensive additional foundation be required?
In Conclusion
Therefore, purchasing a home plan before you have secured the land can incur additional costs to change your engineered plans in order to accommodate the restrictions on your property. Be wary of builders who pressure you to buy a house plan before you have secured land. Their interests are served by buying early, but your interests are not.