Building a house

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 11:53 AM

I'm sure this has been talked about before but I'm starting a new thread. I've finally convinced my wife to move to Newark, though she would prefer building a new house to buying something. I took my grandma to dinner the last time I was home and was talking about moving back and she said we could build at the front of her property, so we might have access to free or cheap land to build on.

Who on here has built a house on their own land before? What are things I need to know before we even think of starting the process? Obviously budget is the biggest factor. I've been looking at some of the custom home builders in the area trying to get an idea of what's out there. I found one that actually has build prices listed, though they are obviously just a starting point.

This is the field my grandma said I could build on. Has a wooded "pond" area that would be the backyard view. The front yard view would be wooded state land. The field is about 2.5 acres, her entire property is about 125 acres.

j_crazy 7 gram rocks. how i roll.

8,623 posts 30 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 1:01 PM

most important thing is drainage, partly for keeping your basement/foundation integrity but most importantly for the septic/leech bed. I'm assuming you'll have access to a municipal water supply, if so you'll need to get a price for running the line to your home and the tie in costs. If not, you'll need to price a water well. Getting power and internet to your property are also things you need to be ready to account for. something i've heard others mention is to have an inspector look through the house while building is ongoing to make sure things are done correctly and can be fixed before being covered up by walls.

all that said. congrats. happy building.

BRF Senior Member

11,621 posts 107 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 1:14 PM

If you are not creating a separate lot, you don’t have to worry about frontage. But with a separate lot, you will need access to a road, along with 40-60 foot frontage. That frontage differs a little bit from county to county.

(I’m on my town’s Planning Commission……we deal with this kind of stuff often)

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 1:21 PM

posted by j_crazy
most important thing is drainage, partly for keeping your basement/foundation integrity but most importantly for the septic/leech bed. I'm assuming you'll have access to a municipal water supply, if so you'll need to get a price for running the line to your home and the tie in costs. If not, you'll need to price a water well. Getting power and internet to your property are also things you need to be ready to account for. something i've heard others mention is to have an inspector look through the house while building is ongoing to make sure things are done correctly and can be fixed before being covered up by walls.

all that said. congrats. happy building.

Water well for sure, if we build on the land mentioned above it is WAY out in the sticks. Power is already there, you can kinda see the gap thru the pond area where power lines run.

Obviously nothing set in stone, but I'm VERY motivated to make this a reality so here's hoping.

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 1:22 PM

posted by BRF
If you are not creating a separate lot, you don’t have to worry about frontage. But with a separate lot, you will need access to a road, along with 40-60 foot frontage. That frontage differs a little bit from county to county.
(I’m on my town’s Planning Commission……we deal with this kind of stuff often)

I'm not 100% sure what this means. By separate lot, would her selling or giving us the 2.5 acres be considered a separate lot? The road runs along the bottom of the picture above and has about 500' of frontage. Either way, I think we'd be good.

Dr Winston O'Boogie Senior Member

3,345 posts 35 reps Joined Oct 2010

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 1:53 PM

Looks like a nice piece of land. I don't know anything about building a home like this, but I'm sure you'll figure it out. You strike me as the kind of guy who will be happier out in the sticks.

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 1:55 PM

MUCH happier.

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 1:56 PM

First major improvement if this becomes a reality is making that a permanent and well stocked pond.

BR1986FB Senior Member

27,923 posts 123 reps Joined Feb 2010

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 1:59 PM

That would be a great spot for a log cabin. Always wanted one. My high school football coach and his buddies built one themselves my senior year of HS. Real nice.

queencitybuckeye Senior Member

8,068 posts 120 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 4:11 PM

Internet availability?

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 4:19 PM

Grandma has access at her house on the property, I think Windstream. It's nothing great, but it works. I'd likely look into get Starlink if it was available in the area.

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 4:27 PM

This is from Google Streetview from the front right corner of the property. It's pretty level but there are some soft undulations that are a little more prominent on the other side.

BRF Senior Member

11,621 posts 107 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 4:37 PM

posted by justincredible
By separate lot, would her selling or giving us the 2.5 acres be considered a separate lot? The road runs along the bottom of the picture above and has about 500' of frontage. Either way, I think we'd be good.

Yes, selling or giving the land to you will require a separate lot and it does look like you would be good with the frontage.

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 4:45 PM

I assume that frontage requirement is just so you're able to get a driveway out to the road?

Ironman92 Administrator

56,729 posts 164 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 5:02 PM

Cookout and bonfire at Justin’s late September 2023

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 5:05 PM

Researching costs for drilling a water well and I ran across this site:

https://apps.ohiodnr.gov/water/maptechs/wellogs/app/townships.asp?County=89&mode=0&CountyName=LICKING&wln=

You can select township, then street to see any wells listed on that street to get a general idea of likely well depth. Chances are it would be between 100-150ft on this property.

gut Senior Member

18,369 posts 115 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 5:12 PM

posted by justincredible
Power is already there

That's just what you tell the wife, right? You're not really going to live on the grid, are you?

BRF Senior Member

11,621 posts 107 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 5:44 PM

posted by justincredible
I assume that frontage requirement is just so you're able to get a driveway out to the road?

Correct

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 6:04 PM

posted by gut
That's just what you tell the wife, right? You're not really going to live on the grid, are you?

Zunardo Senior Member

815 posts 15 reps Joined Nov 2010

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 8:18 PM

posted by justincredible
I'm not 100% sure what this means. By separate lot, would her selling or giving us the 2.5 acres be considered a separate lot? The road runs along the bottom of the picture above and has about 500' of frontage. Either way, I think we'd be good.

Hopefully you're using an attorney to make sure the property deed has all the p's and q's. BRF made me think of my grandfather's 23 acres on the mountain in WV. Years ago my mother and her 7 siblings divided it into 8 lots. The attorney who handled it mentioned the required driveway access, which affected some lots more than others. Reading my mother's paperwork and copies of emails, one uncle was not happy that the driveway access for his and 3 other lots would take more than half of his property, due to the terrain and orientation to the road, while the other 3 lots would lose much less.

justincredible Honorable Admin

37,969 posts 246 reps Joined Nov 2009

Mon, Aug 30, 2021 9:29 PM

Shouldn’t have issues like that, but definitely good to keep in mind.

Building a house

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