Research Idaho Home Builders

Questions one should ask and considerations for picking the perfect place to build your new home.

Once you've decided to build a new home, choosing where to build it can be daunting. Especially in today's real estate market, in which, there are many more options today than there were just a few years ago. In so many cases, you can now buy a homesite outright and then choose your builder; whereas, a couple of years ago, you typically chose a builder from a team in whatever neighborhood you liked.  So now that there are many choices, what should you consider when looking for your land?

Questions to ask yourself:

1. What type of neighborhood fits your lifestyle? Large? Small? Big sites? Patio Style? Community Pool? Parks? Playground Equipment?

2. What type of home are you going to build, and does the community you like have similar homes? It's always best to build a home of similar style and value to the others in the neighborhood to protect your investment.

3. Is there a builder team, and if so, would you like to talk with a builder or two from that team about building your home?

4. What are the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&R's) of the neighborhood? Do they fit your lifestyle (i.e. RV parking allowed, Fencing requirements, etc.)

5. Is the community situated in a convenient area for you? What would your daily commute be like? Are the schools fitting? Where are the closest grocery stores, dry cleaners, restaurants, shopping?

Assuming that you've found the community that you like, how about the specific homesite...

1. Does the backyard fast East, West, North or South? What do you prefer? Early morning sun, late afternoon sun, appropriate sun for you garden?

2. Is the homesite you prefer on a cul-de-sac? If so, will your home fit properly to give you the backyard space that you would like, or due to the width of the home, do you have to push it back too far in order to fit, and lose your yard?

3. What are the set-back requirements in the community? This will determine your "building envelope" or the area in which you can build your home on the homesite. It's important to know to ensure that the home you'd like to build will fit properly.

4. I also think it's great to really look at the dirt. Does it have a clay consistency, a rocky consistency? This will help you determine your landscaping choices.

5. Is the homesite on a common area of the neighborhood and what type of fencing applies. Do you prefer an open feeling or more privacy?

6. Where are the utilities? Is there an electrical box or fire hydrant in the front yard? If so, does this bother you, or do you prefer it?

These are some of the standard questions, I'm sure there are many more that the builders out there would suggest. Hopefully this gets you started and helps you determine the perfect piece of dirt for your beautiful new home.

As I've said before, our land is very important to us, so asking as many questions of yourself, your real estate agent and your builder, will help you find just the right homesite for you.