What You Need to Know Before Clearing Land to Build Your Home
Building your own home is an exciting time. You’re going to be designing your own home from the ground up, and you have the land to build it on. However, before you get started, there are some things you should know. Here’s what you’ll need to do before you clear the land and get building.
Check the Zoning Laws
Before you call in that Orlando tree service and start clearing your land, you’ll need to ensure that you have the right to do so. Many a would-be home builder has gotten started clearing land, only to be told that what they’re doing is, in fact, illegal.
Check that you’re able to clear and build on your land per local zoning laws. It’s best to double and triple check the paperwork, so nothing is unknown before you start work. Nothing is worse than incurring additional expenses because you missed something before you got started.
Look for Utilities Hook-Ups
If you’re going to build a home on your land, you need to be able to hook up all major utilities. Can you get hook-ups for electric, gas, water and so on? Make calls to the proper authorities and see what you need to do before you start clearing the land. In the case of water, find out whether there is a public water system on the lot, and if there’s a connection fee. You’ll want to know how much it’ll cost to hook up all these utilities and add this figure to your budget.
Decide on Well and Septic Placement
Related to water, if you’re building a well or septic tank, you should decide on the placement for them now. The placement of these items will affect land clearing. It’s easy to assume digging a well won’t be an issue if there’s water nearby on the property. Rather than assuming, get an expert to come in and take a look at the land. They’ll be able to tell you where the placement should be, and help you understand what you will and won’t be able to do.
Talk to Your Homeowner’s Association
Depending on where you’re building, you’ll need to talk to the Homeowner’s Association in the area. They will be able to tell you what you will and won’t be able to do on the lot. It’s much better to know all this information now, rather than getting halfway through a building and finding that something needs to be torn down.
Get A Copy of The Latest Survey
When was the land last surveyed? Get a hold of the latest copy of the survey, so you’ve got an up-to-date idea of what’s on the land. If there isn’t an up-to-date survey, it’s best to get one done now. That way, you won’t be caught out by any nasty surprises.
Mark the Land
Now that you’ve got everything set up, you’ll need to mark the land. Mark out where the house footprint will be, as well as where the driveway and possibly the garage will go. Do this with bright tape or paint so that you can see it easily. You’ll also want to talk to the excavators, to point out which trees you want to be removed and those you want to be preserved. This will help the land clearing team get it cleared to your specifications and reduce mistakes.
Get the Right Equipment for The Job
Finally, before anyone starts work on your land, you’ll need to ensure that they have the right equipment for the job. However, if you’re hiring an Orlando tree service company, this won’t be a problem. They will have a wide array of equipment at hand, and the expertise to use it, allowing them to handle any issue that your land can throw at them.
If you take care of these steps before you start clearing your land, you shouldn’t run into any problems. You’ll soon be able to start building your new home and have a house that’s all yours.