Real Estate – October 2007  By Susan Gerrand In the Raw Most people will purchase homes several times in their lives but few will opt to buy raw land and build a new home.  When choosing to build the most important part of the purchase is the land itself and there are several aspects to take into account.   For example, what kind of exposure does the property provide?  This goes well beyond maximizing views.  Exposure is not just sunlight but also wind as well.  Sometimes maximizing sunlight means exposure to winter’s worst elements.  Careful consideration should be given to both; water can and does run uphill during driving winds.   What appears to be a bright spot in early spring can be an oven by mid summer.  If the property has been bought in the late spring or summertime, fall and winter may provide an insight as to seasonal run offs attractive enough to channel into water features.  Often I encourage people to watch their chosen property for a year to see the changes from season to season.  By taking the time, not only will your home reflect individual tastes but so will your property. Purchasing rural property means even more consideration.  The importance of ensuring water for human consumption and household needs rates high on the list.  Drilling a well does not ensure either.  Soil may be important for a garden or fruit trees, or to install a septic system.   Looking at the potential for other natural features like the possibility of an enhanced pond may be advantageous.  Finally, what are the costs of bring services like hydro and telephone lines to the building site?  Sometimes you can lower costs by bringing lines into a shop or pump house strategically located between the house and the road side poles, the biggest cost involved being time and common sense in the planning stages. Buying raw land is far more of a challenge but the end result offers an individual far more opportunity than “the off the rack” home.  It takes time and sincere thought; well worth the effort in the end.   Susan Gerrand is a realtor with Sutton Group.  If you have any real estate questions, please contact Susan at 756-2112 or by e mail at hatlady@island.net. 

*Here's another helpful tip when buying raw land. Local garden designer
Sue Baran (www.gardendesignbysuebaran.ca) says property owners need to
be aware of the risks of positioning a house too close to an existing
slope. On one of her landscaping projects, the owners had to build an
expensive stepped retaining wall to protect their home because it was
built too near a slope which was starting to erode.

sue@gardendesignbysuebaran.ca