Got land?

You’re gonna need some land!

Having a real estate agent to help you find a suitable plot of land is vital.

The most important thing to consider when choosing a plot is making sure the land is zoned for this type of home. A real estate agent can look into if the land is flood zoned, if the land has any bylaws or zoning ordinances prohibiting the erection of modular homes, and whether the land is suitable for a modular home at all.

There are a number of costs, that vary significantly from lot to lot. For example, the costs to excavate the foundation and bring water and sewage capability to a home can vary significantly from one lot to another. Will you have to drill a well?  How big of a septic system will you need? Is utility hook up available?  These questions will have to be considered when buying your land as well, and will be covered individually and more in depth in the near future.

As I mentioned we had a piece of land prior to choosing a modular home. Although we are located in “the country”, we were able to utilize city water and did not have to dig a well (phew!).  However, we did not anticipate that we had to pay the city to run a water line under the main road to our property (dang!).  This was an additional cost that we didn’t necessarily prepare for!  As you can imagine, thes variable costs can add up to some jaw-dropping numbers. They will only be surprising, however, if you are unaware of what is involved in developing land into a building lot.

Again, a good real estate agent, and your modular home dealer/builder should be able to help you in this process.

However, one thing your real estate agent may not think to warn you is that you want to consider the delivery route to your property, as well as its size and shape, as this can occasionally pose delivery difficulties. And it goes without saying that for those on a budget, the price of the building lot will affect how much money is left over to build a house!