A Homeowner's Guide to Land Preparation 

So, you drove past your piece of land again.  You passed that for sale sign on the way to your kid’s basketball practice.  The property owner next door to your cousin said they would sell you an acre… The view, the location, the equity you can build… it all pops into your head again.  When will “one day” turn into “today”?  Of course, our vote is “Today”!

The next question is, how hard is this going to be?  We are busy! 

We are never going to tell anyone that building a home is easy - but - nothing in life worth doing is easy!  After it is all said and done, you will probably wind up like most of our home owners who found the process Fast, Fun, Affordable, andEasierthan they ever thought it could be.  In fact, one of our Brand Promises is to provide you with100% Free Support, all the way through the Land Development Phase of your home.  If you do not believe we are supporting you, you can cancel your contract.

What does the land development process look like?  How do you turn that piece of property into something that will enrich the rest of your life?  Well, first, come to Red Door Homes!  We will walk you through the process.

                

Construction Agreement

We consider it very important to start with a Construction Agreement.  Well, yeah, you are the builder!  Joking aside, the construction Agreement makes everything “Real”.  As we begin working with your lender, utilities, surveyors, municipalities, etc.,  we get a much better response by saying, “we are building this home, on this piece of land, for this price.  It is for real, here is the contract”, as opposed to saying, “We are thinking of…”  Is there risk involved for you?  No!  Check out our brand promises.  If at any point, we find the land, customization, or financing does not work for you, we will release you from the agreement.  There are also some very important financing reasons to do the construction agreement first.  Check out this link to learn more about that (Magic of Loan to Value anyone?).

So the first step is to complete the Construction Agreement so we can all get to work!  

Homesite Evaluation

The next step is to schedule your home site evaluation (Link behind a reg card?).  During this meeting, you will meet with us to review the condition of your homesite.  We will create estimated values for the various parts of the land prep for your home.  We cover some of the major categories below:

Survey

It is very important to get a survey on your land.  Most lenders, utilities, and municipalities will require it.  In addition to showing you the location of your property lines, a survey will uncover any easements, right of ways, flood plains, etc., that may not be obvious from looking at your homesite.  The surveyor will also use stakes or flags to mark the location of your home.  This is great to see how your home will sit on your land, and we will use it to build your foundation.  Red Door Homes can provide your surveyor with a scope of work on how to set the corners of your home.  

Percolation Test

Many of our homeowners’ land does not have public sewer.  In that case, a septic tank will be installed with the construction of your home.  A percolation test (commonly called a “perc” test) is the tool that is used to find out where and what type of septic tank your home will require.  Red Door Homes is happy to provide you with contact information for septic tank engineers in your area.  

Utilities

Utilities for your home will include the basics like water, sewer, and electrical.  Also, it is worth looking into internet, gas, and other items if interested.  Just like with septic tanks, sometimes public water is not available on site.  In this case, we would look into wells.  Utility service can run from very affordable and easy if you are on a developed lot in a neighborhood, to quite expensive and time consuming if you are looking to build that dream mountain top retreat.  Either way, Red Door Homes is here to help you throughout.  

Soils Test

We always recommend and sometimes require a soils test prior to starting your home.  The soils test (sometimes called a GeoTechnical Survey or compaction test) is how we determine the bearing capacity of the soils on your homesite.  In other words, is the ground solid enough to support your home.  This can often be a scary test for our home owners - especially if you already own your land.  The good news is that Red Door Homes can almost always find a cost effective remedy if soil bearing capacity is an issue.  

Occasionally our homeowners find the difference between a soils test and a perc test to be a bit confusing.  Just remember - Soils Test = Can the Ground support my house | Perc Test = Can the ground percolate a septic tank.  

As always, do not hesitate to reach out to us at Red Door Homes if you have any questions! 

Grading/Clearing/Landscaping

As much as we would love to be able to drive to any homesite and start building right away, this is sometimes not the case.  Pre-Construction grading can run from a simple, “Clearing and Grubbing” (removing the top soil prior to digging footings), to a major earth moving project if we are building a mountain side basement home.  Red Door Homes can provide rough cost estimates during your home site evaluation.  We recommend checking this with your grading contractor prior to closing your construction loan to make sure you have a good overall budget.  

We can provide contact information and direction to grading and excavation contractors to make the job easy.  Once construction is complete, we include rough grading and seed and straw for any areas disturbed during construction.  If you would like additional landscaping done prior to move in, our contractors are happy to help!

Permitting

The two most common types of permits required for building a Red Door Home are a Building Permit and a Septic Permit.  Building Permits will typically be issued by the city or the county depending on how the local building department is set up.  The building permit will always be in the name of Red Door Homes (beware a builder who wants you to put the permit in your name!).  Different municipalities have different requirements for Building Permits but the most common requirements are: a contract with the builder, utility approvals, survey, and septic tank permit (if applicable).  

A Septic Permit is typically issued by the local health department or the state environmental regulator.  The septic permit will be in the name of the Homeowner as only property owners can obtain septic tank permits.   Requirements for a septic tank are a survey, percolation test (perc test - see above), and proof of ownership.  

Permitting agencies are, by nature, quite strict on the rules but are usually easy to converse with.  Luckily for you, Red Door Homes is great at building and maintaining strong relationships with most permitting offices we serve.

Getting Started

OK!  Your land preparation is complete and we are ready to get started!  Now is the time to sit back, relax, and watch your Red Door Home come to life. Preparing your land for a new home might seem like a big task, but with    Red Door Homes, it’s a lot more manageable than you’d expect. From signing that construction agreement to grading, clearing, and navigating permits, we’ve got your back every step of the way. With expert guidance and    plenty of support, you can relax and watch as your dream home becomes a reality. When you're ready to turn “one day” into “today,” Red Door Homes is ready to make it happen!