The lot decides more about the house than the plan does. It decides where the house can sit, which way it faces, how much the site work costs, and whether the basement stays dry. Here is what we look at before a client buys land in the Farmington Valley, and what we recommend you look at too.
Walk it before you buy it
We walk lots with clients before purchase. On that walk we are looking at slope, where water goes when it rains, where the sun comes from, how a driveway would get in, and where the house would want to sit. A lot that is beautiful from the road can be a drainage problem from the back corner.
Water, above and below
The valley floor and the ridges are two different problems. In Granby and Simsbury the question is the water table. Before you buy, the soil needs a drainage test so you know whether a full basement is realistic or whether the house should sit higher. Up on the ridges in Avon, Canton, and Farmington the storms hit harder, so a house needs more than code-minimum drainage, both below grade and on the roof and walls, and framing and fastening detailed for wind. Neither problem is a reason not to buy. Both are reasons to know before you do.
Wetlands and wildlife zones
Most of the Farmington Valley is laced with inland wetlands and wildlife protection zones. When a lot touches one, the building department adds steps, reviews, and sometimes months. The town’s wetlands map and a conversation with the land use office will tell you before a survey does. We have been through the process in every valley town and plan for it from the first visit.
Setbacks and the building envelope
Every town sets how far a house must sit from each property line, and some lots carry extra restrictions from a developer or a conservation easement. Together these define the envelope you can build inside. A narrow envelope can rule out the plan you had in mind. Check it before you fall in love with the lot.
Well, septic, and utilities
Rural lots in Canton and parts of Granby are on well and septic. A septic system needs a soil test and a design approved by the health district, and the test can fail. A well needs to be drilled, and the depth is not known until it is. Where municipal water and sewer exist, the connection fees and the distance to the main matter. Where power and internet come from decides trenching costs.
Orientation
Which way the lot lets the house face affects daylight, heating, and, for clients who want a Vastu home, whether the lot is suitable at all. Vastu design asks for a specific orientation, and we recommend having the site evaluated for that before purchase rather than after.
What site development costs
Total project cost is the land, the house, and the site development. The first two are easy to see. The third is where budgets go wrong. Clearing, excavation, ledge removal if there is ledge, the driveway, the well and septic, utilities, grading, and drainage. We get written numbers from excavators, well drillers, and septic installers before you commit, and the budget carries a visible contingency for what the ground hides anyway.
Before you sign
- Title report and any covenants or easements.
- Zoning, setbacks, and the building envelope.
- Wetlands and wildlife zone maps from the town.
- Soil drainage test and, if septic, a perc test.
- A walk with your builder, with the plan in hand.
If you are looking at land now, tell us about it. The best projects start with a conversation before the lot is bought.