PART SEVEN:
HOW TO FIND A PLOT
PUTTING TOGETHER AN ASSESSMENT TEAM
Assembling the right team to assess your plot is as simple as following Mark Stevenson’s no-nonsense guide
by Mark Stevenson
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES
SERIES GUIDE
This extensive series will cover everything you need to know to get the land you need to build the home you always imagined, from assessing a plot’s potential to paying the right price!
Once you’ve found a potential building plot, the next step is to make sure its right for you. To do this you’ll need to appraise it, weigh up its pros and cons and make sure that it will support what you want to build. Appraising a plot is more complicated than just deciding whether or not you’d like to live there. It involves making sure that the plot can be developed, and that when the design is approved it will be something you will want to build.
Don’t forget, all land has had a prior life, so there’s every chance you’ll run into a couple of pitfalls when you come to develop your new plot. It’s therefore critical that you get a good idea of all the construction costs you’ll be facing so that you can be confident there are no nasty surprises waiting to bust your budget.
To appraise a building plot properly and get a good idea of what you’re taking on, you’ll need the support of a team of professionals who between them will provide the skills and knowledge necessary to keep you on the right track.
This article will discuss each of the essential professionals you may need to employ and explains why you should put together this indispensable team of building buddies sooner rather than later.
Planning professional
Where planning permission is required or needs to be changed, a competent planner is analogous to a good lawyer — you’d never think about representing yourself in court, and you shouldn’t try to win planning consent without the proper professional help either.