Selecting the Lot for the New House
Renting is the temporary solution to the housing problem. We shall now assume
that you have decided to stay awhile and are ready to begin looking for a place
to build.
Photo owned by Cedwyn Davies
Where are we going to find that lot, so we can build the new house? No one
likes to drive forty miles through heavy traffic to get to work every morning and
back again at night. While it is not desirable to have the home in the same block
with the factory, or between the First National Bank and the Post Office, a house
can easily get too far away from the job, and distance can become a real problem.
Time spent on the road is practically wasted, and traveling long distances every
day costs a great deal of money in the course of a year, to say nothing of the wear
on a person's nerves and blood pressure.
Traffic is increasing so tremendously around our metropolitan centers, and will
probably get worse, that travel must be a big consideration in selecting a location.
To be near a main arterial highway or a freeway ought to be a partial solution, but
when so many thousands of others are all trying to use the same highway at the
same time, it seems impossible to build highways wide enough, or enough of
them to handle the traffic. Don't get too far away from your work
After you are satisfied that getting to and from work will not be too difficult, there
are other considerations. How will the children get to school? Be sure there is a
proper school not too far away, or that a school bus picks up the children in the
neighbourhood. Then there is the simple matter of shopping for the daily
groceries. Are suitable markets not too far away? If you have a preference as to
the church you attend, can one be reached within a reasonable distance?
Utilities
Although many people think that such things as electricity, gas, water, and
telephone lines come automatically, there are places where one or more of these
services are not available, and it is well to make a thorough check to see that all of
these are satisfactory and that their cost is reasonable.
If sewers are not available, you can usually get along with a septic tank, but this
will cost more than connecting to a sewer. If, however, there is a monthly charge
for the sewer, perhaps in time this would make things come out about even.
A good water supply is, of course, the first necessity. You wouldn't want a house
where you could not get good water and plenty of it. It is well to inquire about the
water supply. Is the pressure adequate during the dry season? Is the water safe to
drink, and does it taste good? Is the cost unreasonable? Is water rationed at certain
seasons of the year? Can you afford enough water to keep a good lawn?
Before you buy a lot, be absolutely certain about the water supply. Is the water
supplied by a private company, or by the city? Does the water come from wells,
streams, lakes or springs? Is there assurance of a continuing supply? If water is
from a well, is the water level dropping or rising?
A dependable source of electricity is also a must. What about the rates? To get so
far out that you try to generate your own electricity is only for those few hardy
souls who do not mind poor or indifferent service at considerable expense and
trouble.
Good telephone service is a necessity in our modern civilization. Be sure it is
available without your having to build or pay for building a mile or two of line.
Natural gas is now piped to many localities; and it is very useful, but where it is
not available, bottled gas can usually be secured. If not, oil can be used for heating
and for heating water. Or you can use coal, or even wood in some rural forested
areas. Or you can use electricity for heating purposes, if you insulate the house
properly. Many electric companies give very low rates for electricity used to heat
water, and often for heating the whole house. Gas is not an absolute necessity, but
it is well to give consideration to what will take its place.
Public transportation passing near the building site is a great convenience.
Everybody has cars nowadays, but some families have only one car, and when a man
drives it to work, what does his wife do for transportation? But if a man can take
the bus to work, he will save money, and his wife can have the car at home. Or if
both husband and wife are employed, the problem is greatly simplified if a good
dependable bus line runs near the place. There is usually less nervous tension
generated in riding in a bus than there is in fighting your own way through the
rush hour traffic.
The View
The view is not an absolute necessity in selecting a home site, but it can well be a
very important consideration. It must be admitted that there are not nearly
enough sites with magnificent views so that everyone can have one.
What an inspiration we get from a striking view! The rugged mountains with their
snowy caps, and the placid lakes, calm our troubled spirits, helping us to see life in
its true perspective. All our feverish hurry and hectic rush accomplish so little.
Photo owned by Oliver Dixon
What an inspiration we get from a striking view! The rugged mountains with their
snowy caps, and the placid lakes, calm our troubled spirits, helping us to see life in
its true perspective. All our feverish hurry and hectic rush accomplish so little.
Many home owners have to be satisfied with an ordinary level lot in a square block,
and large numbers of people do not consider a view to be worthwhile, or they
fear that it is out of the question for them. But in parts of the country that are not
level, where there is a choice of the different types of building sites, a person who
decides to do some thorough looking around and can use a little imagination as
to the possibilities of an unusual site, can generally find something different. Of
course, it costs more to build on a sloping site, but the difference is largely in the
labour involved, and a person with pep and ambition, can often find it in his
system to do the extra work for the extra reward of being able to live in a
better than average situation.
But most people have to be content with a more prosaic location. While we may
not be able to manage a breath-taking view from every window, the case is not
hopeless. If you can't find a view, make one. By proper planting to shut out
undesirable vistas and other planting to beautify portions of your lot, you can
make even a level lot in a square block attractive. Tell the people with view lots
that it is usually so foggy, or smoggy, or otherwise dismal that they do not get
much out of their view anyway, and that your view is close enough that you can see
it in spite of the smog.
But do try to get a lot that is large enough so that you can do something with it.
Perhaps you can buy what was originally planned as two lots and make it into a
very attractive place.
Suppose you can get only one lot 60' x 120' in size. You can still do a great deal
with it by careful planning.
The Lot in an Older Neighbourhood
It is seldom wise to build a new house on a lot in a section where most of the
houses are twenty or thirty years old. A vacant lot in such a section that was
somehow missed when the rest of the houses were built is usually cheap enough
that there is a temptation to buy it and build on it. Unless the older houses are
unusually well kept and in really first class condition, the neighbourhood will
become obsolete as a high grade residential district before your house has served
a normal life span.
How Much Should One Pay for a Lot?
How much can we afford to pay for a lot? Don't buy a cheap lot for an expensive
house. If the lot costs about one fourth as much as the house, you won't go far
wrong. Much depends on what you consider important. If your finances are so
limited that you must build a very inexpensive house, by all means find a cheap lot.
On the other hand, an unusually large lot, with a perfect view and close to where
you want to live, might be worth half as much as the house, or even more, if you
can manage the financing.
The cost of the lot is the cost of everything necessary to pay for before the
building of the house can start. This is mentioned because, although one lot may
seem less expensive than some other lot, when the levelling is considered and the
utilities that may be in and paid for in one place may have to be added in another
place, the price picture may change. Consider all the cost.
A person should always remember that it is cheaper to build on a level lot than
on a sloping one. This fact needs also to be considered in calculating the price of
the lot. This is not a reason, however, to shy away from a lot that slopes. Maybe
the house will be worth more if full advantage is taken of the slope. There is more
probability that a good view is available with a hillside lot, and the lot may be
less expensive to buy in the first place. If the lot is in a completely developed
subdivision, the view lot will be much more expensive.
Unusual Lots
Consider the lot that slopes away from the road that is situated on the low side of
the road. (Builders have generally shied away from this type, in favour of the one
above the road level.) The view is often better from the rear of the house. This
lends itself to the newly imported idea of putting the living rooms in the rear.
Why should a house face the street with the principal rooms in the front?
If you can build up or frame the floor so that the floor level is slightly above the
curb, and a basement or under story can just open out on a level with the back
yard, a very convenient and charming house can be built. Of course, if the lot is
large and you can contrive a winding road back to the house, the relation to the
street level is unimportant, just so your driveway does not become too steep for ease
in driving. The lower levels farther back could be terraced for games, or garden,
orchard, flowers, outdoor living, etc.
People under forty-five might do well to look for such a lot, while those over
sixty would be wise to plan their living on one level.
A lot that is just slightly two or three feet above the street is considered the ideal
lot. This often gives a good view without too many steep steps or serious grading
problems.
Despite the fact that a very steep lot above the street presents a rather difficult
problem, if it can be bought cheaply, or if it has an unusual view, or if it is near
where you would like to build, several things can be done to make it a suitable
building site. You could excavate, putting the garage under part of the house,
and have steps leading up into the house, or if the lot is large, by careful design of
the driveway maybe you could drive around to the rear, with a curved drive, making
the main entrance on the rear of the house.
Or you can have a second story that is really a ground floor at the back. You could
thus get a good view, from both the first and second stories and not seem so much
like you were living in a tall house.
Every lot presents its own problem, but a little thought and ingenuity will usually
solve the problem.
How much land do you need? Much depends on what you want to do with it. Do
you want a large house, one that is compact and small, or one that is rambling?
Naturally a rambling house of one story will take more land than a compact
house of two stories and a basement, to get a similar amount of floor space.
Do you want a swimming pool? A tennis court? A garden for flowers? Vegetable
garden? Orchard? A lot of approximately 10,000 square feet should be large
enough for the average family, and certainly 15,000 to 20,000 square feet could
accommodate almost any activity. A satisfactory house can be built on a lot of
6,000 or 7,000 square feet if outdoor activity is to be at a minimum.
Lots are larger now than they were forty years ago. The average city lot then was
about 50' x 100'. Many were even smaller. Houses were smaller on the ground
floor, being built with two or three stories and not requiring so much land.
A lot less than 60' in width is definitely too narrow; if you can find a lot 80' or
more wide you will have more freedom in planning the house and landscaping the
grounds. Get as large a piece of land as you can afford. If you can't pay all cash, you
can usually work out a deal where you pay for the lot in monthly instalments.
It is usually better to wait until the lot is paid for before starting to build the
house. As soon as you get the lot, you can begin to plan the house as well as the
way you are going to plant and landscape the lot. If you want an orchard or shade
trees, you can get the planting started, even if you can't build for a few years yet.
Get in mind the location of the house on the lot, and where you will want the
things to be planted so they will not interfere with the building work. It is very
difficult to preserve shrubs and small trees if they are in the area immediately
adjacent to the house.
If the lot is not level, the grading must be completed before you plant anything.
Look ahead instead of doing your work twice. Be sure you are doing everything
according to a master plan, so that when you get through you will have a place
that looks as if someone had planned it instead of just letting it grow at odd
times.
Since many cities are expanding rapidly, when you look for a lot don't look too
close in. Perhaps better and larger lots are available at less cost just a little
farther from the center of town. Try to imagine what the area will look like in two
or three years.
We have discussed mostly the things you want in and around your new building
site. What about those you would rather not have? Noisy highways too close to
your house can be a nuisance when you are trying to sleep on a restless night.
Railroad switching yards or the main lines of busy railroads can be equally
distracting. Factories that give off unpleasant odours or have noisy machinery are
not the best neighbours. You might also get tired of a view that overlooks dreary
prospects, gas plants, oil refineries, or factories belching smoke. Keep your house
a safe distance from these things.
The Soil and Land Structure
It would also be wise to check into the quality of the soil to make sure it will
raise shrubs, a good lawn, and also a garden if you wish to raise one. Of course, you
can have soil hauled in, but this cost must be added to the cost of the lot
.
Photo owned by Jonathan Billinger
Sometimes the substructure is such that it is difficult to get a good foundation for
your house. Beware of a lot that has been filled to a depth of several feet within
the last twenty years. Your foundation must extend below the fill to make it satis-
factory.
Be sure that you have the right lot, because if you build on someone else's lot,
you have built the house for him. The house belongs to the one who owns the
lot. In many foreign countries this is not so; people lease the land and build
their houses on it, and are free to move them if they wish, but in America the
house and the land belong together.
Making Sure that You Have a Clear Title
Not many years ago getting satisfactory assurance that the title to a piece of land
was really clear was a difficult proposition. The customer was given an abstract of
title, which was a large book consisting of copies of all the papers that had ever
been issued concerning a particular piece of land, from the original land grant
from the Federal Government, through all the changes of ownership, including
mortgages, liens, and delinquent taxes. Then the wise buyer took this to a lawyer,
who, for a fee, gave an "opinion" that the title could be considered satisfactory.
Then, sometimes when the property was all divided up into many small pieces,
some sharp lawyer would find a "cloud" away back in the title, such as some
distant heir, long since dead, had neglected to sign some paper or to have it
recorded. Then the title to every little piece of property had to be put through a
court procedure complete with advertising to "clear" the title.
Fortunately, the proposition is much simpler and much more certain now, although
more expensive. Since a title insurance company insures the title to the property
in the amount the buyer pays for it, he has no need to worry as the title insurance
company will be careful not to insure the title unless it is good.
The wise buyer nowadays will insist upon adequate title insurance when he buys a
piece of land in those parts of the country where this service is available. Where he
cannot get this insurance, the buyer will have to satisfy himself that the title is
clear, by some other means, perhaps by the abstract method.
Exact Boundaries Important
Be sure you know the exact boundaries of the land you purchase. In the "good
old days" when a few rods more or less one way or the other did not make much
difference, boundaries were not so important, but, with today's land values, a few
inches can be vital. When your lot is only 50' wide and you want to build a 40'
house with 5' clearance on each side, you need all the land you are entitled to.
In newly laid out subdivisions where the stakes are all in place, it is easy to find the
lot lines, whereas in places that have been surveyed some years previously so many
stakes will be missing that it may be hard to locate the exact corners. The
neighbours are just as anxious to find the correct lot lines as you are. If a stake is
missing, sometimes a little digging in the area where the corner is thought to be
will locate the point of the stake. Often if one is careful, the hole where the stake
has been can be found by a different color of earth or the decayed remains of
part of the stake.
It is always well to have the neighbour concerned help you locate the corner so he
can be more assured that the work has been done correctly. If he helps you, he
will see the evidence you uncover and will not later be inclined to argue so much
about it. If a corner is discovered and you agree that it is correct, by all means get
a piece of galvanized pipe three feet or more in length to drive in at exactly the
right place as a permanent marker. Drive the pipe clear down to the surface of
the ground or below and put a wooden stake by it. This way it can hardly become
lost again. Although sometimes a new survey is necessary, it is better to find the
original corners if at all possible, and it is certainly cheaper.
Land that has never been exactly surveyed, or a piece that is being divided, will
require a survey to locate the new corners and lot lines, which should be
permanently marked so they will never become lost.
Plot Plan
After you are sure that you know the exact boundaries of your land, you can begin
to make the plot plan. With the limited piece of land which you can get, careful
planning will be necessary to make sure that it is being used to the best possible
advantage. Find the true north and south, the direction of the prevailing breezes,
and of the strong winds, and decide which parts of the lot will be best for outdoor
living, where the garage should be placed to shelter this area if shelter is going to
be needed, or where the full force of the breeze will be necessary for maximum
comfort on hot days. The local climate and weather conditions will guide one in
planning the use of the lot.
Plan where shade trees can best be planted, where the vegetable garden will do
the best, and where the roses will best fit the landscape.
Outdoor Living Room
Outdoor living room does not need to be expensive; it may be any place around
your house, screened off from the road by a hedge or fence covered with flowering
vines or it may be in your back yard with flowers and shrubs hiding it from the
neighbours.
The place may be small with only a comfortable seat or swing or it may be large
enough for large parties, for a croquet court or other games, or a place for the
children to run and play.
An informal pool in one corner will add to the beauty and interest of the place. A
terrace with a table and chairs where the afternoon or evening meals may be
served would be inviting, in a quiet atmosphere, a little apart from the noise and
rush of routine daily tasks. Here one may rest and his soul will be refreshed.
More and more, we are learning to enjoy our gardens. Outdoor living in many
parts of the country is very comfortable particularly during the summer and fall.
The climate will determine the use to be made of the lot. Place the house and
garage to get the benefit of the weather you want, and to shelter you from that
which you find objectionable. Don't forget the benefit to be derived from shade
trees, both for the cooling shade in the summer, but also the improvement in the
appearance of the place. But don't make the mistake of planting them in the
center of the front lawn where they will obscure the house and interfere with the
view.
Use the Lot Efficiently
Keep the garage as near the street as possible, so as not to let the driveway take
up too much room. Keep the front yard as small as the required set-back will
permit so the room at the rear will be more spacious.
Facing the House to the Rear to Use Lot Efficiently
Consider the idea of facing the house toward the rear of the lot, with most of the
important living areas facing the rear. Then set about to plant tall shrubs along
the sides and rear of the lot, or at least where the view is somewhat undesirable.
Then flower gardens can be next to the tall shrubs, and the lawn can occupy the
center of the back yard. If you can afford a swimming pool, it can be the center of
interest. Put it to one side so that it will not take up most of the area, which you
will need for other activities. If you can't find a view, make one.
Building Your Own Home
If you want something that offers more opportunity for gracious living, for a more
leisurely approach to life, for a different type of entertaining, or perhaps you just
want a view, what you want to do is to build your own house.
If you want things the way you want them, if you are not satisfied with the
average house, if you want luxury but can't afford to pay too much of a premium
for it, if you do not like so much uniformity, if you are a rugged individualist (alas,
the breed is getting scarce), if you do not like the same level lots, the same lack of
imagination shown in the design of tract houses, the stereotyped way of living
associated with subdivisions, you want to build your own house.
Owning a home gives a feeling of permanence and security to a family that a
hired stopping place can never give. There is great satisfaction in planting a shrub
or painting a wall and knowing that you are doing it for yourself and not for
someone else. When you own the house, you can stay long enough in one place to
get the benefit of your work. You can locate a good garden spot and not feel that
the fertilizer you put on it will do more good for the next tenant than it will do for
you. The trees you plant will grow for you and not for the landlord.
If you like to live in your own house, if your home is your castle, if you would
rather be home than anywhere else, if a family enjoys being together, if a holiday
can be spent leisurely at home instead of dashing madly about the country
seeking excitement, if you would like to raise a few flowers and enjoy gardening, if
you like to entertain friends at home instead of taking them to the restaurant, if
you like to sit around your own fire in the winter evenings, if living is more than
mere existence to you, if you have children and they want pets, if you want your
children to enjoy their home, to be proud of the place where they live, to grow
up feeling that home is the most blessed place on earth, if these things are
important to you, then you need a house of your own on a good-sized lot.
Although not everyone can have a beautiful house on a large lot in an idyllic
country setting, overlooking mountains or lakes and still have it accessible enough
for everyday living, a few can. Why not be one of the few?
Even if a lot more thinking and a lot more work will be required in building your
own house, when you consider how many years you will have to work to pay for
the house you buy, perhaps in the long run there is actually less work in building
your own house in the first place.
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