Building a Maryland Custom Home - How to Find The Best MD Land For Sale

Selecting Land For Sale In Maryland, Baltimore, Howard, Harford, Carroll & Anne Arundel County MD. What to look for when investigating land for sale in Maryland when building your Maryland Custom Home.

"Knowledge is Power!"

Is the land recorded? Is the lot perc-ed? Does the lot have a well? Is the land public water and sewer? If so, are there any tap fees associated with the lot and how deep is the tap? Is the land "dirt heavy"? Are all of the utilities present at the lot? Does the land require any clearing? Is the lot going to require a long driveway? Any shared driveway agreements? Any HOA, covenants or architectural guidelines that impact the lot? Is the Building lot a walkout or in ground basement?

ALL very good questions when it comes to buying a piece of land for your Maryland Custom Home.

The MORE you know aboout a parcel of land that is located in Anne Arundel County MD, Baltimore County MD, Carroll County MD, Harford County MD or Howard County MD the BETTER.

There are MANY important questions to ask when investigating land for sale in Maryland.

1) Is the land recorded? A recorded lot should be ready to go. The piece of land is ready to be built upon unless there is some sort of building moritorium, etc... A lot that is not recorded has to go through the engineering process as well as through the County process for approval. An unrecorded piece of land is not ready to be built on.

2) Is the land a public water / public sewer lot? If so, where are the water & sewer taps located on the lot? Are the taps run to the land? If not, how far from the lot? Are there any water and sewer tap fees that will need to be paid? Is the lot at a lower elevation than the main sewer line making a grinder pump necessary?

3) Is the lot well & septic? Is the well in? What is the depth and yield of the well? Is the land already perc-ed for septic? If a lot isn't perc-ed or ultimately doesn't perc you can't build on the land and consequently the bank will not lend money on the lot. If the land does perc, is it perc-ed for a conventional septic system or an alternative septic system such as a sand mound septic system? The alternative septic systems cost more to install.

4) Is the lot "Dirt Heavy"? If the piece of land is small in size there is a good chance that the lot is "Dirt Heavy" thus dirt has to be hauled away from the land. On a larger lot there is more area to work with which in turn gives you more room to "lose the dirt".

5) Are the utilities located at the lot? If not, how far are the utility hookups from the home? The further the utility run the more costs. This also comes into play if the home sits way back on the lot far away from the utility hookups.

6) Walkout lot? Non Walkout lot? Do you have your heart set on a walkout basement? This is dictated by the slope of the land. A flat lot is not going to be a walkout lot. Land that has some slope are more suited to be a walkout. If it is close, sometimes with creative grading, a walkout can be forced.

7) Does the land need any clearing? Are there trees located in the building envelope that are in the way of building your Maryland Custom Home? If so, there will be expense for cutting down and hauling away the trees.

8) Does the lot require a long driveway? If so, on some lots you can use crush & run (stone - less expensive) or you may want to completely asphalt the driveway. Either way you have to factor this expense into your over all budget.

9) Permeability factors? Sometimes, particularly if the property is located near the water, the size of the home that can be built has to conform with the permeability requirements of the County. You don't want to have your heart set on a Rancher plan, with a sprawling foundation, only to find out you can't build it on your piece of land.

10 Convenants, HOA Requirements, Shared Driveway Agreements, Architectural Guidelines, etc... All could come into play and be a factor in what you can and can't do with a particular lot when it comes to the type of home you want to build.

Is this everything to know? It is not BUT it will answer a lot of questions. Prior to purchasing ANY lot it is best to visit the County offices of where the lot is located. The Counties can provide a wealth of information from additional engineering required by the County to restrictions.

Best of luck building your Maryland Custom Home.

John Shipley is a Licensed REALTOR / Licensed Custom Home Builder (MHBR #6259) in the State of Maryland
1.888.864.4272
Long & Foster
Castle Rock Builders