The Real Estate industry has changed so much in the past ten years, it's nearly impossible to remember what we did before we had all the online resources we have now. Today, our first instinct is to turn to our phones and iPads. Whatever we are looking for—from a ready-built house to bare dirt—listings are a mere click away. But with virtual tours, 3-D tours, and Google Earth is it really important to “walk-the-lot” these days?
Absolutely!
SITE EVALUATION SAVES TIME & MONEY
Walking the Lot is Vital
It is essential that every future home owner walk the property before making a purchase. A piece of property that appears flat can actually wind up having a very severe slope. Some other "invisible costs" that can drive up expenses are soil type, location of utilities, or even animal protections unique to a jurisdiction - yes, we have seen customers experience lengthy delays because of gophers.
Walking the property can be done during your due diligence period to ensure someone else doesn't buy the property while you are taking your proper steps. There is also a benefit to walking your prospective lot with an industry expert; this will most often will not only save you money, but ensure that your final product is exactly what you had in mind.
Not every lot is created equally! Excavation, the primary cost involved in placing your home, can make or break a budget. Every region, jurisdiction, and piece of property will have a lot of variation and not all of them are easily visible. Here are just a few of the considerations a professional will make in evaluating your lot:
Soil Type: Is the land rocky? Will it require big machinery? A rock pounder? Or can the push out be done with a mini excavator?
High Water Tables: How far down can we dig before we hit water? Water and foundations do not mix well.
Sloped Lots: Too much slope? You might be looking at an increased cost in site development. Not enough slope? Water drainage could become an issue.
Pro Team Experience
Adair Homes has helped build more than 21,000 homes for families across the West. Through that experience we have learned a lot and are glad to pass it along to our customers. After a recent Site Evaluation with some customers down in Medford we talked to Home Ownership Counselor, Johanna Siebert, about the experience.
“My clients learned a lot while visiting the site with one of our preferred excavators who took the time to shoot the grade for us - what looks relatively flat had over 9' of slope, this helped them situate the home on a better spot on the lot that will cost a lot less to develop - same views, less slope!” - Johanna, Adair Homes Southern Oregon
To learn more about property evaluation, the National Association of Home Builders has put together this very informative booklet on land development.
Zillow is a fantastic search tool—but when you are ready to put boots on the ground—we highly recommend connecting with industry professionals. Our online team is available seven days a week, ready to field your calls and introduce you to the construction professionals ready to help you make the best decisions for your future dream home.
About Adair Homes
With 50-plus years in the industry, Adair’s long term commitment to treating each customer with honesty, integrity, and respect has paid off, 21,000 customers strong and counting.
At Adair Homes, our mission states: it is our privilege to build our customers the home they have always dreamed of. We believe in providing the greatest value for our customer’s dollar and finding innovative ways to value engineer homes. We believe that we can offer an outstanding customer experience that is both enjoyable and rewarding—and offer this one-of-a-kind customer experience as the largest on-your-lot builder in the West. For more info, get in touch with us here or call 1-844-518-7072.
