What comes first - land or house plan?

There are times when people will ask us how they should
start the building process. A big question is "Do we buy
the land first or should we figure out our desired house
plan first."

There is no right answer to this question, but if I had to
lean towards an answer I would say that it is more safe to
figure out your floor plan before you purchase a lot / building site. That way,
you know that the house that you want will fit on the site that you are purchasing.

Now, if you are purchasing a site that is large in size (1 acre or more) then the house plan does not likely matter much. The building site is large enough to fit any desired house plan.

Why the house plan first?

1. Because the home has to be livable. The floor plan needs to work for your lifestyle and family size.

2. Knowing what floor plan you want will tell you the dimensions of the house plan. That will translate to the size of the building site that you need.

3. When you go through the process of determining your house plan you analyze how you live your life and how the house needs to work for you. Do you want a walkout lower level? Do you want an outbuilding? Is a mudroom important. All of the desired features of your home are determined at this phase. Better to understand the goals for your home before you purchase a site.

Again, there is no right way to jump into the building process. Sometimes the peace, serenity, family history or convenience offered by a site is more important than the house plan. That is OK. Buy the site and let's get started designing your dream home.

At Heartland Builders we can help you (1) determine the right floor plan, and (2) analyze the land that you desire for your home.

Have fun. Build well!

If you arrived at our blog from a source other than our website, please visit us at www.heartlandbuilders.com. Further, if you are considering building a home, please contact us. We would welcome the opportunity to be a part of your dream.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at rgkogel@comcast.net.