My husband and I have been looking at buying land to build a house on for years. We’ve always known the house we are in now is not our forever home and that we wanted more land. Searching for land and finding the right piece is tricky. Read on to learn how to search for land and what to consider to help you narrow your search for land.
When you first start searching for land, you think that it will be easy, similar to buying a house. However, I found it to be a bit more nuanced.
For years, I’ve been watching the real estate market. Tracking it. Finding where subdivisions are going up. Watching them to see how fast they sell and how much different locations and size lots are going for.
I found that information on searching for and buying land wasn’t readily available on the internet. Here’s a little information that I’ve found helpful during our search for land.
Where to Search for Land
As I said above, I always expected that looking for land would be exactly like looking at houses. In part that is true.
However, it is more nuanced than that.
Here are the various ways that I searched for land.
Real Estate Websites
You can go the normal route by using real estate websites. I personally find that realtor.com is the best. It seems to be the most up-to-date in my location.
They mark things sold accurately and quickly after an offer is pending, so you know you aren’t looking at old properties that have already gone off the market.
However, if you’re looking for properties for sale by owner, you’ll need to search elsewhere. For those types of properties, I found them most often on trulia.com or zillow.com.
The downfall to those sites is that they seem to lag being updated. So, you might feel you have found something you want to look at and then find out that it already has an accepted offer.
Find A Builder
Not all available lots are listed for sale on the big real estate websites.
Sometimes, individual builders in your area already have purchased the lots and have them listed on their own websites.
Find some popular builders in your area and go out to their website and find their available for sale section. Some builders will have both available spec homes and available lots listed for sale on their websites.
Find a Broker or Developer
A third place to look is at brokers or developers in your area. I found these sorts of companies simply through Googling “subdivisions in ___ area”.
Sometimes there are developers or brokers who have their own websites for subdivisions they are creating. If you’re lucky, some will even list the subdivisions that are “coming soon”.
I’ve found that finding those upcoming subdivisions are probably the way to go because you can typically have a foot in the door to buy a lot before they are open to the general public.
Facebook Marketplace
Many of the people who list land for sale by owner will now do so on the Facebook marketplace. They even have a separate “Homes Sales” section that you can search for land in.
Hire a Realtor
If you aren’t interested in searching for land on your own, you could reach out to a realtor and see if they would be interested in working with you.
We were just about to do this when we unexpectedly had some land pop up that we had looked at in the past.
Being land, I’m not sure how interested realtors are in working with people to buy a lot, since the commissions would be significantly lower than homes.
However, I’m sure you’d be able to work something out where they would represent you in your search.
Drive Around and Make an Offer
If you don’t see anything listed in the typical routes, you always have the option to drive around and find land in a location you like.
You can try and look up who owns that land on your county’s GIS mapping website and make an offer directly to that person to buy some land.
The worst that could happen is that they turn your offer down, but it is a worthwhile attempt if you aren’t seeing anything else that catches your eye.
Key Things to Consider When Looking to Purchase Land
There are so many things to consider when you are looking to purchase land for your future home. Here is a list of ideas of what to consider as you start your search.
Location
When looking for land, you need to consider where you want to be located. Typically, you will have your ideal location and then you will have the surrounding area in which you would be willing to be located.
You need to determine how far away from your ideal location you will be comfortable being located.
Slope of Land / Drainage
When you go to look at the land, make sure you walk around and get a good feel for it. You’ll want to consider the overall slope of the land and how it will drain.
This is important, especially for thinking about where on the land you will place your house. If the lot is sloped down towards where the ideal building location is, the risk of water issues is higher.
However, if the lot slopes in other directions, you can think about putting in windows in the basement or having a full walk-out basement.
Then again, perhaps you want a flat lot, so you’ll want to walk around and make sure the lot will meet your needs.
Size and Shape of Buildable Area
You have to keep in mind when looking at a lot, that not all of the area may be buildable. There are setbacks from the front and side.
There also could be easements or wetlands that might change the area you can build in. You’ll have to take all of that into account to make sure that the usable area of the lot is large enough for the type of house you want to put up.
How Much Land You Want
When you head into your initial search, you’ll want to know how much land you are looking for.
Are you looking for a standard city lot (which is normally around .25 acres)?
Or perhaps you want more like an acre? Those you can still sometimes find in subdivisions.
However, if you are looking for even more acreage, that will be hard to find near cities. It could change the location that you want to be in.
School Districts
If you have kids, then you may be concerned about the school district that the land is located in. You’ll have to determine how important the school district is to you.
Some people like to stay in the same school district they are currently located in, whereas others do not care.
In addition to the general school district, you may also need to think about whether the school within the school district that your children attend might change if you move locations.
If you are moving to a different area, you should look at the ratings on the school districts you are looking for land in to make sure the ratings are where you are comfortable.
Internet/Utility Hookups
Depending on where the land you are looking for is located, will determine what kind of amenities it has.
For instance, if you are looking out in the country, you will have to see what kind of internet is available out there. Similarly, you’ll have to see if other utility hookups are available.
If the land you are looking at is far out, you may need to put in a well and septic system.
Price Range
Price range is probably one of the most important things to consider when you are starting your search for land.
You want to make sure that you are searching within your means and don’t overextend yourself.
Make Your List of Requirements
Once you have thought through all of the things you can consider when looking to purchase land, make your list.
The three points to put on your list are:
- Must Haves
- Nice to Haves
- Things You Don’t Want the Land to Have
For example, here is the list I made for our lot search:
Must Haves
- At least one acre
- School district of 5+ at all ages
- Somewhere safe to walk with a dog & stroller
- Allows for outbuilding
- Be within our determined budget
Nice to Haves
- Mature trees
- Close to my parents
- Some flat space outside to play for Evelyn
- Water feature (steam/pond/on water)
- City water or private well
- No overhead electrical wires or towers
Not Have
- No corner lot
- No gas mains running through it
If you are making the purchasing decision with your significant other, you should each make your own list.
Then go over them together and pick out the points that are most important for the two of you to create a joint list.
Start Your Search for Land
Now that you have your list ready to go, it’s time to get started on your search! In my opinion, this part can be kind of fun.
You get to explore the areas surrounding you and see what is available. If you already have your list of must-haves created, it makes it much easier to narrow down your search on the real estate websites.
If you decide to hire a realtor, having your list prepared will help with your initial meeting with them. Knowing what you want, will help them in their search for the perfect lot for you.
Good luck with your search!
Check back in next week for more information as you go along on your land search journey!
