Congratulations — you just purchased your piece of Texas! Now your next question is: where on our property do we place our custom home? Site planning is more of an art than a science — there is no correct answer, but keep in mind, this is the first, and likely one of the most important first steps of building your new custom home.
Remember, once you finalize the location of your home and start building it’s impossible to change. If you purchased a large amount of property or acreage, it might seem overwhelming to decide exactly where to build your home — but fear not, we’re here to help! Here are some tips and things to consider when site planning for your new Texas Hill Country Custom Home!
Views: Everything looks better with a view! What are your favorite characteristics of your new property? Use those best characteristics to your advantages when site planning. Place your home so you have the best view and can enjoy the best features of your new property!
Topography: To an architect or designer, this can be the most important factor when site planning. Work with the topography of your property, not against it. Finding a completely flat area on your property may be nearly impossible, but do your best to find an area without too much slope, this will help save on additional slab or excavation costs that can add up quickly.
Trees & Plants: As you’re working on your site plan, do your best to preserve as many trees and plants as possible. Remember, you can’t simply head to the local nursery and buy a 50-year-old beautiful oak tree — once the trees are gone they’ll take years to grow back.
Regulations: Check with your Homeowners Association (HOA) and local building department for regulations that might prevent where and how you can build. For example, a setback may determine the distance you can build from your property line or if you’re building in a historic district there may be specific height or design restrictions or requirements.
Access: Keep in mind where your curb cut is and how much driveway it will take to get to the site of your new home. Driveways are often priced per foot so the further you build your home from the road, the higher the costs. When planning access points, it’s also important to take into consideration the topography of the property, excavation costs can also skyrocket your costs here as well.
Utilities: The same rule of thumb that you apply to property access can be applied to utility hookups. It’s important to note where your utilities enter the property, building close to utilities will help keep down your costs and often expedite it takes your builder to facilitate those hookups.
Agave Custom Homes was founded in 2009 by Tyler O’Brien. Tyler’s mission when he established Agave Custom Homes was to build quality homes of distinct character and design that reflect the unique surroundings of Central Texas. Every home built by Agave Custom Homes is custom designed for the land on which it is built, maximizing the value and creating a “one of a kind” home!
To schedule a meeting with Agave Custom homes email: tyler@agaverealty.net or call: 512-844-0138. You can see some of Tyler’s recent work by visiting: agavecustomhomes.com/portfolio.