Read These Two Case Studies Before Selecting a Site for Your Custom Home
Although we’ve covered site selection in the past, it’s an important topic to revisit because it’s your first financial leap into committing to a custom home project. Unfortunately, we see people getting it wrong all of the time—and we’re determined to ensure this doesn’t happen to you. Today, we’ll be reviewing two case studies our firm has been working on to help you get a better understanding of what’s possible when selecting a site. Let’s dive in...
Case Study #1: Leverage Your Investigation Period
One of our sites is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It happens to be a very complicated site, and because of that it was listed for less money than any of the other sites in the area. A complex site usually has a solution that most people aren’t willing to take the time to figure out, and we were excited to jump at the chance!
Since the lot was inexpensive, we got it under contract without much background information. That being said, we knew we’d need to investigate before moving forward—so, we asked for a 90-day investigation period, which they accepted. During this time, we’ve had to work through the slope of the land. Because the lot is located in the hills of Cincinnati, the land was technically situated between two streets—one above it and one below it. We were able to change the address and build on the lower street, because it had easier access, sewage and water. Plus, it has a lower slope on that side.
Before signing the contract, we had no idea if any of this would’ve been possible. The extended investigation period gave us an opportunity to ask the city if this was doable. And since we’re still within the 90-day period, there’s a lot more to investigate. We’re currently getting a survey done, marking corners, and understanding exactly what we're dealing with. 90 days is a lot of time, which has worked in our favor—we get to consider some designs and see if it makes sense financially for us to do it all. It’s a win-win!
Case Study #2: Consider Negotiating
With our second case study, a client came to us asking to design and build their house on a lot they had already purchased. They were excited and wanted to get started right away. So, the first thing we did was visit their site. Unfortunately, in our initial meeting, the client forgot to mention that the land was super steep from front to back, completely forested, and midway up a hill. Although we were excited to design a non-traditional home on this property, we also recognized that it was going to cost a lot of money to clear the land. Once the land was cleared, we knew we would need to meet with the excavation team to see how they could get their equipment up the hill. All of this is possible, but it requires some extra work and money.
Although we’re working through these kinks, beware of following this client’s footsteps. Unfortunately, they had already bought and closed on this land without negotiating the price based on how much it was going to cost to build on it. It’s going to take a large portion of their budget just to build a foundation. In addition, it’s going to take extra time to prepare the site.
Both of these instances demonstrate the need to extrapolate as much information before buying your land. Remember that you have control over this decision. Negotiate if need be, especially if it looks like it’s going to be a complex site. Find a good realtor and ask for time to investigate. The worst thing they can do is say no—and if that happens, you can make the decision to walk away. The bottom line? Get as much information as you can before closing on the lot. Information is power, and so are your choices.
Have any questions?
Although we covered a lot in this post, you may still have some other questions about selecting a complex site for your custom home. Whether you’re involved in the custom home process now, or even just considering it, join our free Facebook group—we’ll help you answer any questions you might have! Also, feel free to invite anyone that you think would benefit from this collaborative. You’ll not only get advice from me, but from other people who have been through this, too.
Start the process.
When it comes to designing and building a custom home, nothing beats having a trusted, experienced team of architects on your side. Let’s set up a call to meet, discuss your goals, answer your questions, and settle your fears. We can’t wait to meet you!