Selection of a building site "basics".

I'm not going to reference the social or economic drivers that lead a purchaser to buy a block of land in particular place. This topic would stretch on and on as a conversation piece, so I'll just cover the fundamentals.

Site selection is critically important (as you can imagine)to the success of your project.

Thankfully a lot of the detailed information can be evaluated by a solicitor so you can have a better understanding of the legal implications of purchasing a site. Before you sign any contract, I believe, unless you have a good understanding of real estate law, you should seek out a solicitor to do a check of the title, the sale contract and any legal instruments\conditions that may impact your build.

But, to get to the point that you are engaging a solicitor, you need to identify the site you want to purchase. Now, there are plenty of shrewd salespeople out there who can sell a fridge to an eskimo, so before I talk to people who have a vested interest in me buying, I do my research, I "kick the dirt" on a piece of land and I undertake analysis of the site context.

Site context = all the natural environment and built environment elements that affect any given site.

Now, assuming you've decided the suburb you want to live in considering all those "social and economic drivers" that make a good future prospect for growth, we get into the detail.

Consider the following:

• Site location on the street. Is the property located on the north or west side of the street? In Australia, our preference is to have a back yard on the northern, western, or better yet, north western side of our site. Therefore, the house will sit back from the crossover allowing room out the back for our legislated "outdoor area".

• Solar Gain and Prevailing breezes. Go to site at different times of the day and understand how the site is influenced by these factors.

• The "heel" test. If you dig your heel into the soil, how soft or hard does it feel. Is the soil predominently sand or medium to dark brown dirt (silt). While there are unlikely to be any geotech scientists here, in general terms, if you sink into the ground significantly while you walk on the site, the home is going to need a foundation better than normal.

  
  

• Site access. This can be important and add $$$ to your build quote, so try and pick a block that won't have a building covering most of the site so you get good access around the house. This is also important if you want to put in a pool or granny flat later.

  
  

• Neighbours. If you are purchasing a block in an existing area, it is important that you knock on the neighbours door and introduce yourself. "Hi, I'm **** and I'm thinking of buying the block next door". This simple act can tell you a lot about your neighbour and you may also garner some insider knowledge that could help you in your negotiations. This is not always possible in a new estate, but if you do have the ability to do this, it could give you a significant advantage or could put you off buying the property altogether. Better not to live next to people you don't get along with.

Now, this isn't a rule book for picking a great site. It's a guideline to things you want to think about in the purchase of a land lot. There is so much more to it and I recommend you utilise the services of a local home designer who can assist.

If you are in Melbourne, we offer a service whereby we can meet you on site and talk you through some of these things in more detail. It has a cost, but it may save you (or make you) thousands of dollars in the medium term, so contact us. We're here to help.

Signing off,

Revell