Buying Land to Build a Custom Home in Aurora? Check These Five Things Before You Close on the Lot

For a lot of luxury buyers, the dream isn't a house that already exists. It's a lot in Aurora and a home built exactly the way they want it. I've built homes through BAMCO Builders, and a part of the process that surprises a lot of people isn't the house. It's the land.

A lot can look perfect on a walk-through and still have problems that change where the house can go, what it costs or whether it can be built at all. Here's what I'd check before closing on a lot in Aurora.

1. The zoning, and what it leaves you to build on

Aurora's zoning code sets minimums by district. In the R-1 district, the city's lot, yard and setback table (Chapter 1155 of the code) lists a minimum lot area of 1.5 acres, 150 feet of width and frontage, a 50-foot front setback, 15-foot side setbacks and a 40-foot rear setback. Confirm the current numbers with the city for your specific parcel.

Then sketch the setbacks on the survey. Your buildable area is often a lot smaller than the acreage suggests, especially on an odd-shaped or sloped lot.

2. Sewer or septic

Aurora's code says no use of land can be established unless there's either a sanitary sewer connection or an on-site system that complies with the city, the Ohio EPA and the Portage County Health Board. If the lot isn't on sewer, septic design and installation follow state rules and the county health district's requirements.

In practice, a lot that needs septic isn't really a lot you can count on until the soils have been evaluated and a system has been designed. The location of that system also limits where the house, driveway and any pool can go. Make your purchase contingent on it.

3. Water

Ask whether the lot has access to public water or will need a well, and what it will cost to get service to the house site. On a deep lot, the distance from the road matters for every utility, not just water.

If the lot will need a well, ask about well records for nearby homes and plan for water testing once the well is drilled. Also ask about electric, gas and internet service. A beautiful wooded lot can come with a surprisingly expensive bill to bring every utility back to the house site.

4. Design review and deed restrictions

Aurora's new-residence process includes the Architectural Board of Review, and many Aurora subdivisions have their own recorded restrictions and design standards on top of that. Get copies of the deed restrictions and any association rules before you fall in love with a floor plan. A great design the board or the association won't approve is just an expensive drawing.

Design review also takes time, and changes the board asks for can mean revised drawings. Build it into your schedule, especially if you're coordinating the sale of your current home or a construction loan with deadlines.

5. The costs that aren't in the lot price

Driveway length, tree clearing, grading, utility connections, tap-in fees, permits and survey work all come before the first wall goes up. On larger, more wooded lots, those site costs can add up fast. Get a builder's rough site estimate before you close, not after. On some lots, site work can cost as much as a major upgrade inside the house, so it belongs in the budget from the very first conversation.

It also helps to think about timing. A lot that needs extensive clearing, a long driveway or a complicated septic design will take longer to get ready to build, which can affect your financing, your current home sale and your move date.

Write the lot contract like a builder would

My advice is to make the lot purchase contingent on a survey, a soil and septic evaluation if needed, and written confirmation of the zoning and any design review requirements. Serious land buyers ask for those things. It's a lot cheaper to walk away from a lot than to build around a problem.

Give yourself enough time in the contract to get those answers. Soil evaluations, surveys and conversations with the city can take weeks, and you want them done before your deposit is at risk.

A short lot checklist

• Current survey with setbacks sketched in
• Zoning confirmation from the city
• Sewer availability, or a soil evaluation and septic design
• Water source and cost to bring utilities to the house site
• Deed restrictions, HOA rules and design review requirements
• A builder's rough site cost estimate
• A realistic timeline for approvals and site work

Building in Aurora?

If you're thinking about buying land and building in Aurora, we'd be glad to help you evaluate lots before you commit. Schedule a time with me or someone on our team at 21mike.com.

Mike Ferrante
The Mike Team at LPT Realty
www.21mike.com
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