Discovering the perfect land involves more than just locating a spot with a stunning view or the right location and price. Even if you believe you have found such a place, it is crucial to be aware of 4 potential pitfalls associated with the land before making a purchase to avoid risking your investment.
Savvy people searching for raw land for sale use different methods to find the best available property. These include scanning local newspapers, researching bank foreclosures, querying farmers, evictions, or tax sales.
If you're new to buying land, it's not recommended to do this. There's a lot to know first, and you should probably use a land site or agent. Tax sales, especially, could lead you to end up with some bad land without knowing what to do. Here are four of the most common pitfalls people run into after buying their land. Save yourself the headache before making a purchase.
1. The Challenge of Water and Sewer Infrastructure
Before you can construct a home or RV, inspectors would visit your land to conduct a perc test that would establish the rate of drainage of the land for septic system purposes. It will determine where you could place your repair and primary drainage fields or determine if you need to install a custom system that can raise the costs of sewer septic up to 5 times.
You should also check the living conditions when it comes to the water table as well as flooding. Be cautious of rocky soil and lowlands and take note that clay drains poorly while sandy soil drains rapidly. Streams and ponds can be contaminated by a sewer septic system. The issues with this come from some sort of environmentally protected area near the land. For example, a lake, river, or estuary where the water must be protected. When this is the case, you'll have this issue where you can't install a sewer catchment tank in case it leaks into the protected area.
So, now, because you need a catchment tank to build and can't use one, you can't build, and the land is deemed unusable for building. Mind you, you won't know until you check with the county because the land is still sellable and may be used for other things. The thing is, you can check before you buy the land.
2. The Power of Electricity in Rural Areas
Generally, electrical connection costs can indeed be relatively high when compared to water and septic system considerations. It is crucial to factor in these expenses when planning for any future developments on your property. One key step to take is to reach out to your local power company to inquire about any upcoming projects or upgrades related to electricity supply in your area. This proactive approach can provide you with valuable insights into the reliability and availability of power sources for your land.
Moreover, if you are considering alternative energy sources like solar power, it is essential to assess whether your area receives adequate sunlight to meet your energy needs efficiently. Conducting a thorough analysis of your property's solar potential can help you determine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of installing solar panels.
If there are existing power lines near your land, it is essential to verify their capacity and accessibility to ensure they can adequately support your building plans. Unexpected challenges related to electrical infrastructure can significantly impact your construction timeline and budget. Therefore, conducting a comprehensive assessment of the electrical aspects of your property early on can help you avoid potential obstacles and streamline the development process effectively.
3. The Challenge of Landlocked Properties and Road Access
One of the interesting thing with land in rural areas is the term we use called landlocked properties. A Landlocked property is a group of parcels side by side, and they were parceled by someone in the past without putting in a single road between them. So now you have this great 10 acres lot but on all sides of the lot are other 10 acre lots. Now, say all those owners put up fences because they were there first. You're property is now locked in without access. This happens all the time, in rural areas fences are common because they want the protection when they leave. And, they will lock the gates. Now, legally all people must be able to access to their land. But if your neighbors say no, sorry, not letting in my gate to get there. As, the gate is their property too. At that point you need to decided if it's worth the cost to get a lawyer to gain access to your land. And yes, this is very common and happens all over the place in rural areas.
When it comes to road access, you'll want that or the means to cut a road. Nothing wrong with buying land without a road as long as an easement in the parcel map shows one. Sometimes too, land is so remote it doesn't matter, people cut one anyway. But for the most part, having a dirt or paved road is much more ideal. You should just make sure the road you see on google maps isn't locked with a gate, that happens too.
4. Addressing Environmental Challenges Through Legislation
Another possible hindrance to how or where you can build is environmental regulation. It is important to ask the regulatory agencies regarding these concerns. You can also ask the neighbors, lawyers, and agents or company selling your land if it is not disclosed for some reason.
It might seem to be an overwhelming task to buy a raw land and worry about these things. But this is why the game is so great, there are diamonds in the rough. Someone might sell one and it says no road access due to gate. But if you do due diligence and find out that gate was removed, you can buy it and flip it much higher. Stuff like that, land is weird and the one that does the best research and has the most creative methods does the best.
Law wise, land is full of freedom but at the same time regulated by tons of laws. Zoning laws, grass cutting laws, trash laws, building laws, eye sore laws...etc. If you buy land with a goal in mind you need to check all these things and find out if the land can allow your goal. You can't just see land near a lake and picture a beautiful retirement home. Because once you make that move, you'll end up finding some protected zone and your dreams are crushed after 10 years of holding. Seriously, each lot is so unique, each county is different and most all are governed by laws of some sort.
