Top 5 Tips to consider before buying a block of land
Tip 1# Location, Location!
One of the biggest and un-considered decisions is real estates mantra “location, location, location!” This slogan is becoming even more and more relevant in today’s market to building a home. With land being more in demand and selling in record times, making a decision quickly will help you secure your dream land and house package in Adelaide.
Finding land for sale in South Australia that ticks the boxes comes down to finding the community that ties in with the lifestyle you desire. Whether you’re looking for a community that is surrounded by walking trails, natural woodlands and reserves. Or maybe it’s a location that has all the desirable amenities- everything from the best brunch spots, speciality stores and services to build your dream home design in Adelaide.
Maybe its’ being close to your local amenities everything from your local shops, health services, public transport, choice of schools or childcare options. There are a number of contributable factors that can help you start to build dream house in your desired location in Adelaide.
Tip 2# Size & shape of your land
Whether you’re looking to build in a new estate or you live in your dream suburb and outgrown your home or looking for the best solution to maximize two or more homes, Rivergum Homes have put together a guide to help you match your plan to suit your needs and land sizes from across metro Adelaide
Tip 3# Flat vs sloping blocks – what’s the difference?
Before you have chosen your home builder in Adelaide, one of the most important aspects to building your home is if you’re planning to build on a flat or slopy surface. The flatter the land, the easier and cheaper it will be to develop and build on.
Sloping blocks are great for optimizing views that our state has to offer often means you need to factor the cost involved in building a split-level home, ease of access for trades and materials to be delivered onsite needs to be factored into the budget of your home build. Our consultants can guide you on the planning provisions and design guidelines for different councils in South Australia that apply to your chose allotment before buying and selecting a home design.
Tip 4# Soil & rock – the foundation to your home
Did you know there is a range of different soil types? When purchasing a block of land, one of the things that the builder will check before building the foundations of your home is, testing the soil of your block. There are different types of soil that have different levels of reactivity, this is drawn down to the following class types:
A – Non-reactive, stable
S – Possible light movement
M – Possible moderate ground movement
H – Possible high ground movement
E – Possible extreme ground movement
P – Problem site
These different soil types determine the basic foundations to ensure the structure of your home has minimal ground movement and avoid costly surprises in the future. This is something Rivergum Homes takes seriously to ensure the best result of your home build. A soil test will look at the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil to determine if it’s safe and will help you estimate the stability and land retention of the block.
Tip 5# Legal considerations
When your intention is to build on the land, the first thing you will have to do is get approval from the local council. Once you have chosen the location, different suburbs have different zoning requirements. Have you driven through neighbourhood streets and notice how the strip of grass are all bordered with beautiful, luscious treeline to homes having a similar concept to one another?
This is called design guidelines. Every council develop their own design guidelines for different residential development to give the area its own “unique appeal.” Here a number of things to consider when choosing your design in a certain land estate that include and not limited to;
- Energy efficacy requirements
- Living areas to position a particular way
- Required water tank allowance
- Selection of exterior materials and colour selections required for the exterior of your home
- Setbacks at a certain distance to the road
- Suggested features including verandas, balconies, entry structure, and window awing to create visual interest
- Entry porch or portico to be included into the design
- Roof design to be at a certain pitch to add visual interest to the streetscape
- Number of windows you must have at the front of your home
- Understanding if your chosen block serviced with gas, NBN connections, water, electrical, sewer and water facilities
It’s vital you consider all the legal obligations and design guidelines that you need to comply with when buying a block of land. Getting approval from your council and following the guidelines you have to comply with before you purchase, will enable you to be prepared and ready to adapt your plans to suit your budget.
