Building a custom home in Lane County is an exciting endeavor that comes with many big decisions. You get to choose everything from the layout of your home to the final coats of paint. The first decision, though, is where you will build.
Choosing the right residential land lot requires much more evaluation than many soon-to-be homeowners realize. It’s more than picking your favorite neighborhood or views. You need to consider everything from zoning restrictions and utility connections to the land’s grade and soil quality.
At Schar Construction, Inc., we specialize in building custom homes, so we’re familiar with evaluating lots for our clients. Below, we offer custom home lot selection tips to help you enter the process with a bit more confidence.
Criteria To Consider When Selecting Your Lot
When evaluating different lots, you must first create a set list of criteria. These items will vary from person to person, depending on your priorities and the amount of time, money, and effort you’re willing to put into your build. For example, some buyers are looking for fully developed, flat land that’s ready to build on, while others are OK with investing in land clearing or a septic installation if that means they can get their ideal views.
You’ll need to think about your priorities, timeline, and budget a bit before viewing any properties. Once you’re ready to start shopping around, consider these factors when selecting a lot:
Soil Quality
Before thinking about whether you like the lot’s location, views, or anything else, you need to decide if the land is feasible to build a custom home on. Certain types of soils are more subject to expanding and moving over time with the temperature and moisture fluctuations here in Lane County. Significant expansion can compromise your foundation’s structural integrity, creating expensive problems for your future home.
Clay and sandy soils often create the most complications. If the site has significant underground rock, you may also face more complicated excavation requirements.
A soil engineer can test the site for you to provide a knowledgeable recommendation.
Slope and Drainage Concerns
The lot’s slope affects how water will drain from your home’s foundation, the driveway and walkways, any septic tanks you have to install, the landscaping features, and everything else. A small slope can provide natural drainage away from the building site, but if the land slopes in the wrong direction toward where you want to build, you may encounter challenges.
High-degree slopes or cliffs also create complications for building, as this will require land grading, slab construction, a walkout basement, or another creative solution. While it’s possible to build on highly uneven land, you should consult an engineer first to understand the costs and complications involved before purchasing the lot.
Utilities
Access to essential utilities can significantly influence the cost and convenience of building on a particular lot. If you’re building a custom home in the center of a city, this may not be as significant a concern. But if you’re looking at lots in rural areas, you’ll need to confirm which services are already available and which would need to be installed.
Some ideal lot features for new homes include:
- Electrical connections
- Natural gas lines
- Connections to the public water supply or space for a well
- Municipal sewage or feasibility for a septic system
- Internet or cable options in the area
Lot Access
Not all lots are easy to access throughout the year, especially during Eugene’s cold, rainy, and sometimes snowy winters. You need to evaluate the types of roads leading up to the property and how they’re maintained.
Will they be plowed if a snowstorm rolls through? Would you share the same driveway with a neighbor? Are you responsible for road maintenance or repairs, or is the city?
Aside from investigating these factors, you also need to check whether service vehicles are allowed to access the property, as you may face restrictions if it’s set away from public roads.
You might also want to think about how far away the lot is from your job, your children’s schools, the closest grocery store, and any other places you frequently visit.
Views and Land Orientation
After you’ve confirmed that the lot meets all of your technical needs, you can move on to the fun part of shopping for the perfect spot for your custom home. You may want it to have nice views or be in your preferred neighborhood. When considering the views, be sure to factor in the orientation of the house, so you’ll know which way your windows and doors will face for sunrise and sunset.
What You Need To Know About Zoning in Eugene
When it comes to zoning and permitting in Eugene and the surrounding Lane County area, it’s important to understand how local regulations can impact your dream home before you buy land. Every property is classified under a zoning designation, such as residential, industrial, rural residential, or agricultural, and each category has specific rules about what you can build and how you can use the land. For example, some zones may have restrictions on home size, height, or how close you can build to property lines.
Before finalizing your purchase, check with the City of Eugene or Lane County’s Land Management Division to verify the zoning code for your lot and ensure your plans align with it. You’ll also need to confirm whether the property already has approved building permits or if you’ll need to apply for them yourself. This process can vary depending on the location and scope of your project.
Taking time to understand these requirements upfront will save you from headaches down the road.
Red Flags To Watch for When Picking Your Property
Even if a lot looks perfect at first glance, a few hidden issues can quickly turn your dream build into a costly challenge. Before you commit, keep an eye out for these common red flags:
- Floodplain properties: Lots located in flood zones may face strict building regulations and require elevated foundations or extra drainage systems, which can add major expenses and long-term insurance costs.
- Steep slopes: Building on very uneven terrain often demands extensive grading, retaining walls, or specialized foundation work, all of which drive up costs and extend construction timelines.
- Significant site complications: Hidden issues like poor soil stability, high water tables, or large underground rock formations can make excavation and construction far more complex than expected. If the site requires costly preparation work or significant land clearing, you might want to look for a new lot.
How Your Construction Crew Makes All the Difference
The right construction crew works with your lot to bring your vision to life. For example, Schar Construction, Inc. finished a custom build on a steep hillside on Mountaingate Drive in Eugene a couple of years ago that required a unique design because of the land’s slope. We completed construction in around 10 months, creating a 2,500-foot, two-story home overlooking stunning mountain views.
The project required land grading efforts to ensure proper drainage and a stable foundation, but the final results were well worth the added work.
Do You Need a Site Evaluation for Custom Home Construction?
Do you need help evaluating sites for your future custom home? If so, call Schar Construction, Inc. today at (541) 255-1624!
