A custom designed home offers a lot of benefits and allows you to truly achieve a home straight out of your imagination and wildest dreams. If you've decided that a custom built home is the right option for you and your family, then your next step is choosing the location where your home will be built.

While it's entirely possible to design your home before choosing the land, it is highly recommended that you choose the land first. While a home design can often be changed in order to accommodate a certain location and landscape, it is much more expensive to alter a piece of land in order to accommodate a specific home's design. Because a piece of land's location can often help you determine things like placement of windows and configuration of rooms, as well as help determine other design elements such as the location of your garage or driveway, the land you end up choosing can have a very large impact on the final outcome of your custom home, including the final cost of your custom home.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your new piece of land:

1. Location - First consider whether the piece of land is in your desired location. Is it close to your work or your children's schools? Is it close to convenient amenities such as grocery stores, parks, and public transportation? Also consider whether the location fits in with your aesthetic ideals. Does it provide for excellent views of the water or have plenty of trees nearby to offer seclusion and privacy? It is also important to consider the future resale value of a home on your chosen piece of land. Is the land featured in a popular area of expansion or is it part of a larger community? It is always a good idea to try and picture your home ten years in the future and determine the extent to which the area will be in high demand.
2. Size and Shape - The size and shape of a piece of land is extremely important, and any future homeowner would be wrong in making the assumption that "bigger is better." You should always ask yourself how much space you need for the size of the home that you want, and more importantly, how much are you willing to pay for it? The quality of the land and the type of vegetation on it can also play a huge role in this decision, as a larger piece of land with more trees and grass will obviously require more time and effort spent on maintenance. Also, ask yourself whether the land you are looking at fulfills all your necessities as well as any additional extras you are looking for. Can it accommodate the number of bedrooms you require? Does it have the space for important exterior areas such as a back deck or porch, and can the soil accommodate a garden or large lawn?
3. Ownership Rights - It's always wise to consider the title that your piece of land comes with, and specifically what rights your title grants you as an owner. While some titles grant complete ownership of the land and everything within it, others require you to share a specific part of your land, such as the driveway or part of the lawn, with your neighbors. If you are purchasing land that is part of a larger community, your ownership rights may be even further restricted, or require a monthly fee. If your land does require a monthly ownership fee, make sure that you are factoring this price into your construction budget and monthly mortgage.
4. Local Guidelines - If your home is going to be part of a planned or gated community, then it is highly likely that certain restrictions come along with the territory. For instance, many communities have specific guidelines regarding the distance from the road at which your house can be constructed. Some communities get even more specific than that, and require homes built in their communities to fit within a certain architectural style, even going so far as to limit the colors with which your home can be painted. If you have a specific home style or size in mind for your desired land, it's highly recommended that you check as to whether this land has any specific rules or guidelines that might prevent or inhibit any of your plans from taking shape.
5. Foundation - When considering your future home's foundation, the best thing that you can do is consult a professional builder. There are several types of ground and soil, and not all of them are ideal for building a home on. You may set your heart on a specific piece of land based on the previously listed criteria, only to find that the land's lack of constructability and viability make it impossible to build a home on. The surface, form, slope, and positioning of the ground of your desired land should always be examined and approved before any final decisions for purchase are made.

Always ask your builder FIRST before selecting your land and always work with a licensed Realtor in procuring your land, as they have been professionally trained to identify and mitigate for problems in advance. Harden Custom Homes has both the building licensure and experience, AS WELL AS a licensed Realtor on their staff who is specifically trained in land purchases. Once your land is chosen, there is no better Southwest Florida custom home building company than Harden Custom Homes, experts in custom home building for Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Estero, and Bonita Springs. Simply tell us your vision and we will make it happen!