Home Building: What to Do After Buying Land

Are you thinking to yourself, “I bought land and want to build a house, but what do I do next?” First off, congratulations! You’ve taken the first step towards securing your dream home, and you are now one step closer to move-in day! But, the celebration must be kept to a minimum because you have a lot of work to do!

Building a home takes a lot of research, planning, and elbow grease. There are many steps to take in the building process, but all of the hard work is worth it when you’re finally handed the keys to your custom home.

Before the first brick is laid, though, there are a few actions you must take to ensure that the home-building process runs smoothly. Here is a quick breakdown of what to do after buying the perfect piece of land to build a home.

Clear the Land

The type of land purchase determines how involved you must be in the first step of cleaning and clearing the land. If you purchased a piece of land through a home builder, then it is likely that the land is already cleaned, cleared, and ready to begin your home build. At the very least, the land will have been surveyed and deemed fit for building a home. If you have purchased a single plot of land that is not in a neighborhood, in a rural area, or not previously owned by a builder, then the land may need more cleaning and clearing.

The process of cleaning and clearing the land is essential for you to see the raw land. This may involve tasks as simple as mowing, pulling weeds, and tearing out shrubs. Or it may include the process of clearing wooded areas, relocating native plants, leveling out the surface, and more. You can choose to do this work yourself or hire a professional.

Secure Permits

Though the land may now belong to you, there are laws and policies that determine what you can and cannot do with the land. Therefore, it is important that you secure the permits necessary for building your home before you break ground. There are many different types of building permits, such as construction and concrete, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical.

Before any step of construction begins, it is vital to ensure that proper permitting is in place. These permits ensure the quality and safety of the work and structures.

Establish Utilities

Your home will need access to water, sewer, and electricity. Your home’s location determines how simple or complicated the process of installing these utilities may be. For water and waste, if you are in an established city area, it may only involve laying some pipes to connect to the existing system. If you are in a rural area, you may need to operate with a septic tank. For electricity, you must determine how close you are to existing electrical poles, how many electrical poles will need to be added, or if you are eligible for an underground electrical connection.

For all utility services, such as installing a septic system or burying electrical cables, you will need to hire and communicate with a team of professionals.

Consult a Builder

Assuming you will not be doing the building with your own two hands, it is important to find the builder you will be working with quite early in the process. If you purchased the land from a builder, then this step is straightforward, but if you are building on vacant land in an undeveloped or new building area, then you may want to interview and consult with several builders before deciding which crew you will work with. Many builders have established floor plans and will only build what is in their portfolio, while others will build any custom design you lay before them.

Before the building can begin though, a builder must survey the land to determine where structures should or should not be placed and how they can be oriented on the property. Therefore, it is crucial to pick your builder early in the process.

Commission an Architect

Do you have a floor plan picked out? Or perhaps you have a list of must-haves and non-negotiables but do not yet have a blueprint design. If you have custom specifications in mind, you will need to find an architect who can draw up the plans for your builder. Many builders may already have an architect they work closely with or will have pre-designed floor plans that can be shifted for your customizations. Because your builder and architect will have to work together, it’s wise to choose these professionals early and ensure they can work as a team to bring your dream to life.

Build Your Dream Home

After seeing all the steps you must take before building your home, owning the land may now seem overwhelming, but do not fear. At Morgan Taylor Homes, our team is available to help you through every step of this process.

We have plots of land available that are ready for building, and we also have real estate agents that can help you find land and secure construction loans with competitive interest rates.

If you have already secured your land or land loan, our building team can step in and take over the process of clearing, surveying, securing permits, and establishing utilities. This means your next step is to meet our designers in the studio to design your perfect dream home.

At Morgan Taylor Homes, we are upfront about the costs of building your dream home and take care of every step along the way. Don’t let the stress of building keep you from enjoying this milestone in life, hand the stressful steps over to us, and begin your journey to your new home today.