You’ve Purchased the Land for Your Dream Home – What’s Next?
You found the ideal piece of land to build the home you’ve been picturing for months, maybe even years. You’re finally ready to build and it’s an exciting time, knowing that your new home could be move-in ready in as little as 6 months to a year. Now that you’ve signed all the documents and officially own this blank canvas, it’s time to get to work!
1.Consult with a Custom Home Builder
To simplify the process, your custom home builder can work with you through many of these steps. We recommend interviewing and consulting with builders as soon as possible. This is because they can get in on the ground floor and make sound recommendations for how to move forward. We’ve created this guide to choosing a custom house builder to make it easier to select the right team for you.
As mentioned, if you’ve purchased a smaller lot that’s builder-ready, go ahead and schedule that initial consultation. In this meeting and the next few collaborations, your builder will go over all aspects of the lot. Some topics you can expect to discuss:
- Optimal placement for the foundation
- Which direction your home should face to maximize natural light
- How you can position your home to frame those stunning Vancouver Island sunrises/sunsets
- How to position the home to create optimal privacy
- How to highlight any special features of your land, like an ocean or mountain view
- Any steep grades or drop-offs, bedrock requiring drilling, etc… that require work-arounds
2. Clean up the Land
The process of preparing the land will look different depending on the conditions of the sale, the location and type of lot. If you’ve purchased a wooded acreage (raw land), it’s going to need some elbow grease and good contractors to get it builder-ready. If it’s a lot in an up-and-coming area with plenty of building action, the work of clearing and preparing the land is likely already complete.
Preparing a Rural Lot
After officially purchasing the lot, the first thing to do will be to go in and clean it up, removing any obstructions like boulders or logs. Any undergrowth and debris should also be cleared out. Depending on the size of the lot, there may also be some tree falling to do.
It’s useful to know what types of trees are around, which ones you intend to keep and which are rotten or hazardous.
Some trees, like willows or cottonwood grow in damp areas, so be on the lookout for those. Even if you don’t see water on the property, these could indicate a seasonal pond or stream. Whether you want to have your home built among the tall trees that border your property, or you want to completely clear the lot, this is an ideal first step. When in doubt, have an arborist inspect the property to get a good sense of what can stay and what needs to go. Have those trees flagged so your builder can easily see what they’ll be working with.
Preparing a Residential Lot
If you’ve purchased a lot located in an area undergoing new development, it may have already been cleared and leveled. In this case, it’s a total blank canvas for your future home and landscaping plans. At LIDA Construction, we have decades of experience developing properties in all types of landscapes, so if anything does come up regarding your piece of land, we are happy to work with you to find a solution.
3. Consult with an Architect or Engineer
Depending on your lot and your wishes for your home, you may want to hire an architect or engineer. In this case, we’re more than happy to collaborate with them throughout your project. This is an excellent option if you’re just not seeing a design you love or if your property has some unique challenges. An architect can get right down to a granular level in terms of accessibility, mechanical, plumbing and can help you get even more value from your build.
4. Sort out the Utilities
You or an engineer will need to check with your local service provider for where hydro, natural gas, water and sewer services are located. If utilities need to be brought in, an engineer can determine access points to the property. If you’re planning on building in a more rural area with no municipal water or sewer services, you’ll need to consider your options for well and septic services.
Rest assured, when you choose our team as your custom home builder, we’ll work closely with civil engineers and any other professionals needed. Together, we’ll ensure that all regulations for utilities are followed. We’ll also work closely with you to make sure you’re getting exactly what you need for your property, whether you’d like a deeper well or the ability to connect natural gas for that stunning range on your wish list.
Having been in the custom home industry for more than two decades, we have many excellent connections for reputable Victoria contractors and service providers outside of our core team. Together, we’ll help you determine your best options and get all the right permits for the jobs required. We want you to enjoy this process of making your dream home come true, rather than losing sleep over mundane topics like septic fields and powerline placement.
5. Design your Home with LIDA Construction
Now the fun really begins! It’s time to deep dive into designing your house. We recommend taking your time with this process and really soaking in every aspect of the initial design. Allow time for tweaks or big changes, consider how much space you might want to grow into. We encourage you to sleep on any changes, look at the plans daily and note if anything stands out (good or bad). If you’d like just 2 more feet in the kitchen or would like to treat yourself to a grandmaster bath, now’s the time. During the design phase, you get to show your designer your wish list of favourite building materials, features, layouts and more. Basically, all the items that made you decide a custom house would be the perfect solution for your family. Browse our portfolio of custom homes to get some inspiration.
Bonus- Consider Drone Photography to See All Aspects of Your Land
Very modern of us, but it’s helpful to see the plot of land from above. Aerial videography and photography will help you envision where your home will be placed and how we can work with the land to create your oasis. There’s a reason that Real Estate Firms sometimes rely on this technology for their listings — It provides a bird’s eye view and a whole new perspective.
The LIDA Construction Proven Process
Through our LIDA Construction proven process, we’ll work closely with you and your architect / designer / interior designer during and beyond your build. Starting with a consultation where we’ll delve deep into your lifestyle and specific wants / needs for your home. Next we’ll collaborate with all stakeholders, complete the contract and design, and start on construction. From there, we’ll complete the build and provide you with continuing care long after you’ve moved in.
Buying the land to build your custom home is an amazing first step. At LIDA Construction, we’re committed to the journey of getting you the home of your dreams and we’d be glad to connect with you in person at our Victoria, BC office. Request an estimate or call us at 778-440-5432 to book a free consultation.