There’s something uniquely exciting about building a custom home on your own land. When you build on your own lot, you’re choosing more than just your floor plan, finishes, and other details. You get to choose exactly where your life happens, from the road you turn down to the view you wake up to every morning.
Of course, you need to find the right homesite before you design a custom home that fulfills your wants and needs. The challenge is that not all property is equally buildable, and different lots can affect budgets, timelines, and design possibilities once you dig into the details. This is why early, thorough research plays a key role in helping you save time, money, and headaches when building on your own lot.
In Part 1 of our two-part “Build on Your Own Lot” series, we’ll break down how you can find and evaluate land in Northeast Ohio for your ideal custom home. In Part 2, we’ll walk through what happens next: designing and building the home that fits your property and your lifestyle.
Ready to start? Here’s what you can do to find the right property for your custom dream home.
Step 1: Start with the Right Team
In general, the average homeowner doesn’t have a lot of experience finding, evaluating, and buying land. This process is much more complicated than spotting open lots in agreeable locations, and you shouldn’t go through it alone.
The first step in finding/evaluating land is to work with experts who have extensive knowledge in their field when buying property. We recommend starting with the following team:
- A real estate agent with land expertise who can use professional networks and other creative resources to help you find and obtain property for the best value.
- A civil engineer or land development expert who can evaluate feasibility beyond what’s immediately visible and spot potential issues prior to purchase.
- A custom home builder who can guide you through your entire home building journey, including during your initial land search.
Having this team in place is beneficial for several reasons. First, they can help you avoid nasty surprises that can turn a once-promising lot into an imperfect property. Second, they give you the expertise needed to have far more confidence in what you’re buying, allowing you to feel assured that your land investment can support your vision.
Step 2: Find Potential Properties
In Northeast Ohio, the homesites that check the most boxes aren’t always the ones sitting on your favorite real estate app. An ideal property can be hidden from view if you don’t know where to look. This is where entrusting a real estate agent with land experience is essential.
“As with any real estate, but especially vacant land, it is not just as simple as a quick search through your favorite home-finder website,” said Cassie Karkan, REALTOR® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Stouffer Realty. “Finding land can sometimes require an organic approach, which entails being well-connected within the community and with its residents.”
- Local agent networks and off-market conversations
- Connections with municipalities and community stakeholders
- Direct outreach to owners in areas you love
- Hyper-local insight into ideal communities (including what’s coming, what’s changing, what’s restricted)
Step 3: Evaluate Potential Properties
A great homesite isn’t just about acreage. It’s about how the land works with your goals. According to Greg Modic, Civil Engineer and President of Land Development for Petros Homes, it’s important to consider multiple factors for each property:
- Physical dimensions and topography
- Zoning and regulations
- Utilities and access
- Environmental and legal constraints
“All these factors together determine what you’re really buying, not just the land area on paper,” Greg explained.
Physical dimensions and topography
A property can look promising on paper and still be challenging in real life. It’s essential to examine the overall homesite to determine whether a piece of land accommodates your future building plans or can pose serious setbacks.
“Consider the size and shape of the lot in all dimensions, not just length and width,” Greg shared. “You’ll want to evaluate how the topography may influence where and how your home can be built, how to maximize views, etc.”
There are a variety of factors that affect design and cost for your future home. Working with a civil engineer or land development expert can help you evaluate:
- Site feasibility
- Grading
- Soil suitability for foundation and driveway configurations
- Potential for walk-out or daylight basements
- Backyard usability for potential pools, patios, and other features
- Tree clearing
Zoning and regulations
Even if you own the land, there are still some limitations that can impact what you can build on it. Common factors that can influence your future plans include:
- Zoning restrictions that dictate what and where you can build specific types of structures
- Building setback requirements that establish how far structures must be from property lines
- Square footage minimums and maximums that affect how much of your lot can be covered by buildings and minimum dimensions for habitable spaces
- Architectural requirements that establish expectations for local building codes, neighborhood aesthetics, and other considerations
Another tricky part about zoning and regulations is that they can differ from one location to the next. What is allowed in one area may be off limits in another, making it essential to review any applicable rules with an expert to understand any limits before you purchase property.
Utilities and Access
Utility access can quietly become one of the biggest cost variables in a build-on-your-lot project. It’s important not to assume that a homesite already has access to different utilities, as some homesites may require more work to connect them than others. Key utilities to consider include:
- Water
- Sanitary
- Electric
- Phone
- Internet/cable
- Storm sewer
Utilities also influence practical design decisions, such as where you can place your driveway and garage. Working with a civil engineer or another qualified expert can help you evaluate potential hurdles for connecting utilities and how a potential lot would affect future home design options.
Environmental and Legal Constraints
Even if a property seems perfect on paper, there may be different protections or legal stipulations that impact future costs, design flexibility, and construction timelines. Existing considerations include, but are not limited to:
- Wetlands
- Flood plains
- Streams
- Easements
- Deed restrictions
How Petros Homes Helps You Build on Your Own Lot
Building on your own lot is an exciting journey that allows you to design the custom home you’ve always imagined. When you work with Petros Homes, you have a trusted partner guiding you from vision to completion.
Petros Homes has been building in Northeast Ohio since 1985, guiding homeowners through every step of their journey. Our multi-faceted team of professionals gives you a full range of experts that help you successfully navigate the Build on Your Lot process:
- A new home specialist with more than 20 years of custom home building experience.
- A real estate partner with vast knowledge of sourcing and obtaining land for clients.
- A civil engineer and land planning team with more than 25 years of experience evaluating, entitling, and developing land across Northeast Ohio.
- An architectural designer ready to work with you to design every element of your home perfectly suited for your unique lot.
- An in-house interior design team to bring your vision to life.
With the right expertise and a transparent, step-by-step process, our team helps you confidently find the property that sets the foundation for your future home..
Start Building Toward Your Future with Petros Homes
Ready to take the first step toward building your custom home? Contact our team at Petros Homes online or call Off-Site New Home Specialist David Binder at 216-870-9025 to get started.
Want more information to help with your search? We’re here to help you every step of the way, whether you’re ready to build now or just getting started. Download our free Build On Your Lot Checklist to learn more about what to look for when evaluating land.
