When you are looking to purchase a property, understanding your site, the particular constraints that come with it, and what you can do on that site is critical to the success of your project. What you will be allowed to do with your site will depend on where it is located.
The 3 most important items to look for are: location, location, location. This is the old adage, but it still holds true! You must understand your property and the surrounding area. Are there busy roads nearby, train tracks, a commercial building? Drive the area to be sure you understand where shopping centers are nearby, how close you are to any items you may consider negative and what the property looks like in winter without any trees and leaves covering a view. Pull up google satellite images of the site to be able to see the surrounding area from above.
After you understand the surrounding area, you will need to know where your building can be located on your site. This information will be a combination of an Engineer, Architect, and the town Zoning Department. If you want to get information on your own, a trip to the town zoning department may give you the answers you need. They should be able to tell you the site size and what the setbacks are for the front, sides and back and provide you with but typically your Architect will get this information for your project.
For a more detailed understanding of your exact site, hire a local surveyor to layout your survey, do a topographic survey and a soil boring so that you know what type of soil you are built on and how deep the ground water is. They can also layout the zoning setbacks on the survey so you can easily see where you can add to your existing house or build new.
Understanding your site constraints is a major piece to the puzzle, so be sure to do your due diligence here before undertaking the project! Seek professional advice and have your Architect coordinate this process, so the entire team understands your particular site and works collectively toward your goals!
Are you looking to purchase a property and design and build your dream home? We have teamed up with Design ReImagined to do just that for you! We can guide you in this process! Check out the Design ReImagined Team’s website to start your journey!
www.design-reimagined.com
