When buying land, the costs are certainly an important factor. However, potential house builders should have much more in mind when making their selection.
Constantly being discussed and very popular among young families with double incomes in particular: building a house. But building a house is a complex process in which there is a lot of potential for error. What do you need to consider before buying a property to avoid problems as much as possible - and how does this determine the options you have in terms of building or creating a garden on the property?
The construction of a house always begins with the purchase of the property. This determines the majority of the options that you ultimately have as a builder. An exposed and flat site that is fully developed, located in a community with only a few zoning requirements, is of course the dream of every homeowner-to-be. Unfortunately, it's not always that easy.
Buy property - the cost factor
When building a house, there are two main factors that determine your options: time and money. More difficult conditions usually mean that the costs and possibly the construction time are higher. So that you can still estimate your budget well and avoid delays, many factors should be considered before buying a property.
Short checklist:
❏ Basic Cost
- Price per square meter
- Acquisition costs (real estate transfer tax, notary fees, land register entry, brokerage fees)
- Development costs (infrastructure: electricity, water, sewerage)
- Construction costs (construction preparation and approval, construction process)
❏ Additional or hidden costs:
- Contaminated sites (soil analysis, disposal)
- Terrain (slope)
- Soil conditions (soil report, clay soil, high water table)
A problem example
Suppose the property you like is in a historically critical location and could be contaminated. To check this in detail you need to consult the history of use of the area in the municipality's records. The Environment Agency can also provide informationto identify any risks. If you fail to do this, you as the owner of the property can be responsible for cleaning up the grievances - which can be associated with extremely high costs. Therefore, the hassle of doing pre-sales checks is a necessary evil if you want to buy property with peace of mind.
Handling the Terrain Properly
In addition to the cost factor, the choice of the building site also has great weight with regard to the possible uses. If the property is on a slope, the garden is often affected as well. A modern approach is to dig the house deep into the hillside at the back of the property. So this side - ideally the north side - is naturally isolated and you save enormously on energy costs in the long run. A possible garden would then have to be laid out in front of the house.
You also have to think about the design of the garden. The ground for the foundation of the house is removed, but a steeper slope in the garden often remains. Then terracing or fortification of the slope is necessary. There are various options for this, which can be easily combined with any type of garden design. If you have children, at least partial straightening is often necessary to create a level playing surface. However, the nature of the soil and additional circumstances such as slope water must be taken into account - your trusted landscaping expert can help with this.
When buying a property, also think about the garden
If you have a green thumb or would like to get used to gardening when buying your own home, you should be particularly careful when choosing the building site. The soil conditions can have a major impact on the design options in your own garden. Clay soil not only makes digging much more difficult and therefore more expensive when building, but also has bad properties for growing plants.
Of course, unfavorable soil can also be seen as a welcome challenge, because when it comes to gardening, the motto is: "Nothing is impossible". Even with very difficult soil, a small vegetable garden surrounded by specially designed beds and pots with flowers for visual enrichment is no problem with a raised bed.
A bad orientation of the construction site is a major obstacle. If the location is unfavorable - for example on a north-east facing slope - the sun's rays can sometimes get behindthe house will be severely restricted. With too little sunlight, a garden is difficult to maintain. And without a warm, sunny spot in spring, your own garden is only half as much fun. Therefore, the incidence of light throughout the day should be taken into account.
Buy a property - also consider the surroundings!
Beyond cost, there are of course other factors to consider before buying a property. This starts with the location: those who finally build their own home in the suburbs after coming from the hectic city often look forward to a secluded oasis of calm. But in the long run, the convenience of everyday life with regard to transport connections and the surrounding infrastructure such as schools, doctors or shopping facilities should not be neglected.
Equally, no matter how beautiful the property, it cannot meet your expectations if, for example, the development plan contains obligations that absolutely do not correspond to your ideas of a dream house. And even if this is not the case, caution is still required: A property in a quiet location with a beautiful little house can become a nightmare after just a few years if the municipal zoning plan is not observed. Worst case scenario, within a few years, an industrial area could surround the newly constructed home - certainly not something you envisioned for your future home.