Custom Home Plans or the Land they sit on a Chicken or an Egg
When considering building a custom home people often ask what comes first, the house plans or the property. It can become a chicken before the egg question if you let it. In reality it is always best to start with the property.
While it’s true that a particular house plan can be placed on any flat lot, considerations for views, solar orientation, weather patterns, and the owners living patterns come into play and often mean that what was the “perfect” house plan has some drawbacks. This is particularly true when building your new home on something larger than a postage stamp.
As an example consider the solar orientation of a home. Even if a person is not interested in passive or active solar considerations in their new home, it may be important to them to have their bedroom windows facing east because they like the morning to wake them. A house plan may work for this on one side of the street, but not on the other.
If you are considering building a custom home, and you do not have your land secured yet but are interested in looking at what’s available, contact a custom home builder to help you with the land acquisition process. A good builder will start by asking questions about your goals and lifestyles, give you some recommendations, and let you know if a particular site will fit your needs or not. Usually these consultations are at no cost to you.
Shopping for the site of your new home should be exciting and fun!