Our top 5 tips for buying land in WA

Buying your own block of land and building the house of your dreams can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of your life.

For this reason, it is important that you research your block carefully. As well as price and size, there are a number of other considerations you will need to take into account that can impact the design of your new home and your lifestyle. We have put together our top 5 tips for buying land in WA:

Consider orientation

Think about where you want your rooms and living areas and at what time of the day you are likely to use them. Most prefer sun in the living spaces in the afternoon so consider blocks that have the front facing east or south.

Stay level

A flat, level block is the easiest to build on. Blocks in estates tend to be flat, straight forward with little work to do as the developer has done the work for you. In established suburbs and acreage you might find a slope or fall running the length or width of the lot. It might not look like much, but still worth getting a surveyor, Designer or Construction person to take a quick look as it’s usually bigger than you think and will affect the site work costs of your home, retaining walls and your overall landscaping and driveway scheme which could be a deal breaker pending what you prefer.

Area

This is always an interesting one as a backyard may be important for some but not others. Also consider things like setbacks, neighbouring properties and for people looking at subdivided side by side or battle axe blocks, how your driveway and access down the house will work. Be aware of corner lots! Usually a bit bigger in area but setbacks can definitely change the area available to build on.

What’s below the surface?

Sand? Beautiful. Clay? Could get interesting! Rock? Hmmm. Even though your home will be built on top of it, these three can drastically affect what your site works and engineering costs could potentially be. Especially if considering installing a pool in your home now or at a later date. Rock or clay doesn’t have to mean the end of the world either, but is worth asking your builder about what it could mean for you.

Pick the right time to fall in love

Yep – just like a high school romance it’s all about timing.  When buying a block, keep your maximum figure in mind and always account for stamp duty! Stick to your guns. Too often we see people spend the extra $10-20k to buy their dream block, but then have to take this off the money they had budgeted for their dream home. When bidding or purchasing, take the ‘love’ and emotion out of it, be firm, stick to your guns and keep focused on what you want the finished home to look like.