Selecting Land

Chances are that if you have decided to buy land, you will already know roughly where you want to live. Perhaps you wish to buy a house and land package, or you may want to buy on the outskirts of town, or perhaps you'd like to settle even further out on a few country acres.

Once you have a general locality in mind, the process of selecting your own parcel of land will involve:

• Finding suitable specific locations, and
• Assessing the characteristics of possible sites:
• Zoning,
• Essential services,
• Accessibility,
• Soil stability and type,
• Climate,
• Vegetation, and
• Topography.

Finding suitable specific locations

Whilst you may already know the general area in which you wish to build, you will need to spend some time working out your exact needs when it comes to choosing the place to build your new home. As you will ultimately be living on the land you buy, is critical you find a location that suits your lifestyle.

Often one of the most important factors to buyers is their distance from work. Perhaps you need to be located close to specific amenities. Look through the following list and note down those factors that are important to you.

Travel time

• Work place close
• Access to public transport
• Family/friends nearby
• Shopping facilities
• Medical facilities

Educational Facilities

• Childcare
• Pre-school
• Primary school
• Secondary school
• University

Recreational Facilities

• Parks
• Sporting facilities (e.g. sports grounds, gyms, tennis courts, pools, etc.)
• Beaches
• Libraries
• Entertainment

Environment

• Appealing streetscape
• Low noise area (away from traffic, flight paths and industry)
• Clean air

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Assessing the characteristics of possible sites

Zoning, covenants and easements

Any piece of land you are considering purchasing will need to be zoned correctly if you are to build and reside on it. One of the first things to do therefore, it to check that the property is zoned residential and not industrial or commercial, etc. You can do this by asking the agent to show you a copy of the property's Title or alternatively by approaching the local council.

Covenants will also be documented on the Title and could restrict the type of building materials that can be used and the number of dwellings that may be built on the land. Easements, meanwhile, cannot be built over, as they constitute areas on the land that need to remain assessable to others, e.g. sewer and drainage easements. Don't wait to find out that covenants or easements restrict your building plans once you have purchased the land.

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Essential services

The next thing to assess is whether the site has access to essential services, such as sewerage, water, electricity, gas and telephone lines. Often undeveloped areas may not have connection to all these services and you will need to pay extra to have access these services.

Find out exactly how much essential connections are going to cost you by contacting the relevant authority. Can you cover these extra costs in your current budget? You may even need to install a water tank or septic tank, if sewerage and water cannot be supplied within the area.

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Accessibility

Also consider how accessible the site is to heavy machinery. When your house is being constructed there will no doubt be items when excavators enter onto the block and trucks deliver materials. If this access is restricted, construction may be more expensive than planned as special machinery is likely to be required, e.g. cranes and concrete pumps.

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Soil stability and type

Unstable soil can also add to the expense of building. A geo-technical survey will be able to deduce the stability of the ground material. If the soil is found to be unstable it will need to be stablised by engineers prior to any construction on the site. This can add thousands of dollars to the cost of your new house.

The type of soil may also be a consideration. Sandy soils will required the installation of a containing wall to keep the building foundation in place. Clay soils, on the other hand, can shrink and swell as they alternate between being wet and dry. This can create cracks in the walls of your home as the foundations move. If the block of land contains many rocks, these may need to be removed at significant expense in order to lay the foundations.

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Climate

The climate can be influential. For example, if the land is frequently swept by strong winds the frame to your house may need to be enforced, at extra expense. Look for land that offers a northerly aspect, as you will be provided with plenty of natural light and sunshine. At the very least, consider the amount of shade and heat that your block will draw each season.

If you wish to reside in a particular climate, for example warm, low wind areas, then read over regional climate statistics. Do keep in mind, however, that these figures will not tell you the full story. Local climate variations may see one location well sheltered from wind whilst a neighbouring location buffeted by a wind channel.

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Vegetation

Has the block of land already been cleared or will this be undertaken at your own expense? Heavily treed locations may appeal to your eye, but keep in mind that much of this growth will need to be cut back to allow access to the site and room for the house, attached buildings, backyard, etc.

Also, any removal of trees will likely need to be approved by the local council. Purchasing the land may not entitle you to clear away the trees that grow upon it. So look into this before making the purchase.

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Topography

The topography of the land should also be reviewed. Topography is the way land is contoured. Is the land flat or hilly? Flat blocks of land are generally the most expensive. However, you may wish to purchase land that is undulating. While this may be cheaper, you may find that the excavation work will cost more than if the land were flat.

If you do not like the natural topography of a site, however, don't despair. Landscaping after the house is constructed can allow you to add or remove topographic features (e.g. slopes and hollows).

And finally, make sure the land is not situated in a flood plain. When you inspect the property it may be quite dry, but with heavy rains could the ground be under water? Are there rivers or dams nearby? If you have any concerns, check with the local council, as land prone to flooding will probably not be covered by household contents insurance.

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