Uploaded September 2020 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
Renaissance House Playlist:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjTMbsoHW2ehMtbNx3vTTZc-qzoHtdQkn
This will be updated as segments are added.
When you look at available home sites in a new development, it can be difficult to see much difference from one lot to another. They look pretty much the same. But there are differences that will have an impact on the way you build & the way you live. You should put a lot of thought & planning into choosing the right home site to fit your budget & lifestyle. Of course, price is a major factor. All lots are priced by the square foot, but a more expensive lot doesn’t mean you’re buying a better lot. The key to choosing the right lot is deciding what’s important for you & your family & finding the home site that best fits your needs.
Regional Considerations
If you’re moving into a new or growing community, check with the city to make sure your area has already established adequate police & fire protection, along with adequate sanitation service. Do some research into the school district. Are you close enough to hospitals & medical centers? Are you near enough to adequate shopping? Will you utilize public transportation? How far away do you want to be from the train or bus stations? How far from recreational facilities or places of worship?
Technical Considerations
Learn as much as you can about the surrounding area, especially the present & future zoning restrictions. Consult the City Planning Department to get a Zoning Map (for present conditions) & a Master Plan (for possible future changes in zoning) for the area. The zoning map will show you how close you’ll be to commercial or multi-family properties. The master plan will show you any planned changes in zoning restrictions. Get information on tax rates from the City.
Ask about the city’s Setback Requirements & how they’ll affect your lot (especially corner lots). The setback requirement is normally defined as the distance measured from the street or your property upon which no permanent improvements can be built.
Get a copy of the developer’s plat. It will show you the dimensions and orientation of the lot, and it will show elevation lines to indicate any proximity to a 100-year flood plain
Learn about the Easements on a property. An easement is the right-of-way granted to a person or a company (like a utility company) that allows access to your property. If the lot sits over a lot of utility lines, it could restrict and complicate the building process.
Trees on a lot can add beauty and value, but restrictions on tree preservation could complicate the building process. Many communities place tight restrictions on the preservation of existing trees during construction. On the other hand, unless you plan ahead with your builder, you could start with a heavily-treed lot but wind up with a bare lot if the process of building your home requires knocking some of those trees down.
Get a Soil Sample. The soil content will dictate some of the design parameters in the choice of foundations for that home site, which could have a tremendous effect on the cost of the slab.
Is this lot the middle house on a cul-de-sac? Then you may have a steady stream of headlight beams pointing into your windows at night as your neighbors return home.
Which direction will a house face on a lot? Southern exposure means more sun. Do you want sunlight streaming into the kitchen in the morning, or into the dining room in the evening? Are you an early riser? Will early morning Sun streaming into your bedroom drive you nuts? Will the late afternoon Sun blast into your family room and wash out the picture on your TV screen? Think about the layout of the house like a tennis court is layed out – Pros usually prefer a North-South orientation so they never look directly into the Sun. Do you want the same for your house? Where do you place the various rooms to accomplish this desire?
Amenities like trees, a creek, a nearby greenbelt or even a golf course add value to a property, but they can also add complications. Will that creek ever flood? Check to see if your lot sits in the 100-year flood plain. Will the greenbelt attract animals to the yard? A golf course out the back window offers a bucolic setting, but it can also offer flying projectiles at any moment.
Most developments are not perfectly flat. Do you prefer a lot with a bit of elevation for a view? It will probably cost more, but the higher lots will rarely have retaining walls, where the mid- or low-elevation lots in a sloping development might need retaining walls. Sloping lots may provide a view, but maintenance of a sloping yard is much tougher than a flat yard. Severe weather can cause serious erosion on a steep lot.
Do you want a pool? That may require a deep yard to fit the pool, or a house in a “C” or “L” shape to wrap around the pool.
Noise – Choosing a lot in the interior of a development will minimize noise from major roads at the edges of the development.
Renaissance House Playlist:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjTMbsoHW2ehMtbNx3vTTZc-qzoHtdQkn
This will be updated as segments are added.
When you look at available home sites in a new development, it can be difficult to see much difference from one lot to another. They look pretty much the same. But there are differences that will have an impact on the way you build & the way you live. You should put a lot of thought & planning into choosing the right home site to fit your budget & lifestyle. Of course, price is a major factor. All lots are priced by the square foot, but a more expensive lot doesn’t mean you’re buying a better lot. The key to choosing the right lot is deciding what’s important for you & your family & finding the home site that best fits your needs.
Regional Considerations
If you’re moving into a new or growing community, check with the city to make sure your area has already established adequate police & fire protection, along with adequate sanitation service. Do some research into the school district. Are you close enough to hospitals & medical centers? Are you near enough to adequate shopping? Will you utilize public transportation? How far away do you want to be from the train or bus stations? How far from recreational facilities or places of worship?
Technical Considerations
Learn as much as you can about the surrounding area, especially the present & future zoning restrictions. Consult the City Planning Department to get a Zoning Map (for present conditions) & a Master Plan (for possible future changes in zoning) for the area. The zoning map will show you how close you’ll be to commercial or multi-family properties. The master plan will show you any planned changes in zoning restrictions. Get information on tax rates from the City.
Ask about the city’s Setback Requirements & how they’ll affect your lot (especially corner lots). The setback requirement is normally defined as the distance measured from the street or your property upon which no permanent improvements can be built.
Get a copy of the developer’s plat. It will show you the dimensions and orientation of the lot, and it will show elevation lines to indicate any proximity to a 100-year flood plain
Learn about the Easements on a property. An easement is the right-of-way granted to a person or a company (like a utility company) that allows access to your property. If the lot sits over a lot of utility lines, it could restrict and complicate the building process.
Trees on a lot can add beauty and value, but restrictions on tree preservation could complicate the building process. Many communities place tight restrictions on the preservation of existing trees during construction. On the other hand, unless you plan ahead with your builder, you could start with a heavily-treed lot but wind up with a bare lot if the process of building your home requires knocking some of those trees down.
Get a Soil Sample. The soil content will dictate some of the design parameters in the choice of foundations for that home site, which could have a tremendous effect on the cost of the slab.
Is this lot the middle house on a cul-de-sac? Then you may have a steady stream of headlight beams pointing into your windows at night as your neighbors return home.
Which direction will a house face on a lot? Southern exposure means more sun. Do you want sunlight streaming into the kitchen in the morning, or into the dining room in the evening? Are you an early riser? Will early morning Sun streaming into your bedroom drive you nuts? Will the late afternoon Sun blast into your family room and wash out the picture on your TV screen? Think about the layout of the house like a tennis court is layed out – Pros usually prefer a North-South orientation so they never look directly into the Sun. Do you want the same for your house? Where do you place the various rooms to accomplish this desire?
Amenities like trees, a creek, a nearby greenbelt or even a golf course add value to a property, but they can also add complications. Will that creek ever flood? Check to see if your lot sits in the 100-year flood plain. Will the greenbelt attract animals to the yard? A golf course out the back window offers a bucolic setting, but it can also offer flying projectiles at any moment.
Most developments are not perfectly flat. Do you prefer a lot with a bit of elevation for a view? It will probably cost more, but the higher lots will rarely have retaining walls, where the mid- or low-elevation lots in a sloping development might need retaining walls. Sloping lots may provide a view, but maintenance of a sloping yard is much tougher than a flat yard. Severe weather can cause serious erosion on a steep lot.
Do you want a pool? That may require a deep yard to fit the pool, or a house in a “C” or “L” shape to wrap around the pool.
Noise – Choosing a lot in the interior of a development will minimize noise from major roads at the edges of the development.
