Are you looking for an acreage block to build your dream home on? Or are you just wanting to invest for later in life? There will be a multitude of different options available to you when looking for land. It's only natural to want to make sure the land you end up buying will give you a great return on your investment as well pose minimal issues in terms of construction.
We’ve done a bit of research and put together a list of the key points you need to consider when you're out looking to purchase a new acreage block. So, read on to find out how to make sure the land you buy doesn't end up being a financial burden or a time-consuming headache.
A LOVELY SLOPING SITE WITH A VIEW? OR A FLAT, FUNCTIONAL BLOCK? THE CHOICE IS YOURS!
Firstly, look at the slope of the site. Obviously - the flatter the block, the easier it is to build on. However just as obviously, the more slope there is to the site, the better the surrounding view is going to be.
Which is the best way to go? Is it going to cost a lot more to build on a sloping block?
In answer to this – there are a couple of points which we’ve listed below. But the good news is that, unless you have an extremely steep acreage site, the build cost won’t be too expensive. Because of this, we find that with modular homes, you can have up to 1.5m fall over the building footprint for minimal extra cost.
You also need to consider the type of home you're looking at putting on the site. Typically, a slab home can be cost-effective on near level sites, whereas a home on stumps is better on sloping sites.
WHAT IS THE BEST BUILDING METHOD FOR A STEEP SITE?
So – you're looking at an acreage block with a slope. It's perfect – lovely and leafy, has a beautiful outlook and is the site of your dream home. But what is the best method of construction? Typically speaking you have two options available;
Concrete Slab – to use this method on a sloping site, you will need to really think about cutting and filling a level pad. Furthermore, depending on how steep your place is you will need to allow for retainer walls and how a house pad will affect site drainage
Stump Home – this method is recommended for sloping sites for a couple of reasons. 1, there is minimal disturbance to the site, which reduces the cost of building & 2, you aren’t messing with your site drainage. Because you won’t be doing any cutting and filling the cost savings can be huge
CRANE ACCESS FOR SLOPING BLOCKS
Access to the acreage block of land you're considering for purchase is critical. Generally speaking, if the block you are looking at is so steep that you wouldn’t be able to get a mid-size crane or even delivery trucks to your site, you can expect it to be a lot harder to build a home. This means that unfortunately, your new home will cost more!
WHAT IS SOIL CLASSIFICATION?
When purchasing your new acreage block, one of the main items you need to consider is what is under the ground. You may have a beautiful acreage site with beautiful views but with a really reactive soil classification. Needless to say, the increase in cost for reactive soils can be astronomical!
So how do we demystify this! Well, firstly, let’s get an understanding of the different classes of soil. There are 7 main classifications of soil which are based on the expected surface movement. To help you understand the anticipated movement measurement, you just need to think of it as how much the soil expands and contracts between wet and dry periods. Now, when you see all those cracks in the mud when it is drying out – that is expected movement!
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF SOIL CLASSIFICATION & WHAT DO THEY MEAN?
| Class | Expected Surface Movement (Ys) |
Explanation |
| A | 0mm | Includes many areas of sand, gravel, and rock sites with no clays. These sites have no predicted movement. And, as a result, zero moisture variation. |
| S | 0 - 20mm | SLIGHTLY reactive sites which exhibit only small movements with moisture variation. |
| M | 20 - 40mm | MODERATELY reactive sites exhibit moderate amounts of movement with moisture variation. These sites commonly include red/brown silty soils, some sandy clays and loamy soils. |
| H1 | 40 - 60mm | HIGHLY reactive sites exhibit high amounts of movement with moisture variation. These sites include some silty clays in the Toowoomba area. And, many of the sandy clays and basaltic clays in the Lockyer Valley. |
| H2 | 60 - 75mm | HIGHLY reactive sites exhibit very high amounts of movement with moisture variation. These sites include some silty clays in the Toowoomba area and many of the sandy clays and basaltic clays in the Lockyer Valley. |
| E | >75mm | EXTREMELY reactive sites which exhibit greater than 75mm of surface movement. Typically, these sites include deep reactive clays, such as black and dark brown soils on the Darling Downs, but are also found throughout the Lockyer Valley and parts of Toowoomba. These sites typically demand quite expensive footing systems. |
| P | "P" or Problem Sites As indicated previously, the Site Classification must consider many aspects of the site, not just the reactivity of the soil. P sites are those that include other factors that need to be brought to the attention of the owner, builder and footing designer. A “P” classification does not indicate a specific Ys vale and is described as a “Problem” site The reasons for a P classification include: Growth &/or Removal of Trees will cause Abnormal moisture conditions in the subsurface soils; |
Source: Soiltech Pty Ltd
Now to find out what your soil classification is precisely, you will need to get a soil test completed by a geotechnical engineer. Unfortunately – you can’t really go and do this BEFORE you purchase an acreage block of land!
We’d really recommend you speak with your agent to find out if a soil test has been completed previously. If not – you could try to talk with some locals who have recently built in a similar area to find out what sort of soil types they encountered when making.
LOCATION OF SERVICES ON AN ACREAGE SITE
Now, the next thing to consider is access to essential services such as water, power and sewerage. These are all totally necessary and also a significant cost-centre when building your new home. Again this is something that is not readily seen as something that can really cost you.
GETTING YOUR POWER CONNECTED TO YOUR LOVELY ACREAGE
Has the acreage block of land you're looking at purchasing had power already connected? This is the ideal situation as it will potentially save high cost down the track. One of the most common issues our clients run into is getting power connected to their site.
But if electricity is not connected to the land you're looking at purchasing we recommend you follow a few simple steps to check out if this will be a problem. Because if your site doesn’t have power connected, it can provide a significant cost-centre as well as increase the time to build.
FIND OUT HOW TO GET IT CONNECTED
Follow the below steps to find out how easy it is to get power connected to the acreage block you looking at buying.
- Find the nearest power pole.
- Think about how far your potential house site will be located from the pole. (Remember: the further the distance the more cost involved.)
- Speak with a local electrician to see what the options are around connection and potential costs
- Check out the Australian Energy Regulator website to find out how to get the power connected.
Often if the cost to connect electricity to the block is exorbitant, or you have to pay a lot of upgrade costs we recommend looking at a standalone solar power. While this isn’t a cheap option, it certainly provides you with complete autonomy and NO blackouts! Check out our article on how to save on power bills in your new home.
TANK WATER
If the site has town water, this is a significant feature. If town water is not available, you will need to allow for larger water tanks and pumps. While this doesn't seem like a major hassle, it does cost a little more. In saying that we find that most clients certainly like to have the extra water storage available to them anyway!
Many of our clients also use dam water or a bore to use for landscaping and non-drinking pool.
ONSITE SEWERAGE & TREATMENT SYSTEMS
Again – a block of land connected to town sewerage is ideal. Unfortunately, most acreage blocks don’t have this service. This means that you will almost always be required to install a sewerage treatment plant or septic system and have it connected to your home. Our clients usually install new treatment systems as they are more reliable and consequently, more cost-effective than a septic system.
We usually find that the cost of onsite septic systems ranges from $20,000 - $25,000 once they are installed and connected to the home.
WHAT IS THE FLOOD & FIRE RISK?
No one wants the heartbreak, angst and horror of having to experience the close proximity of a raging bushfire or flood. Thankfully in recent times, the regulations surrounding areas that are prone to bushfire or flooding have been tightened up.
If your acreage block is in a bushfire or flood area, there are specific building requirements that we are required to comply with. And, ultimately, this will require a detailed assessment by a Bushfire Consultant or a Flood Height Surveyor to survey the site.
SO, THE THINGS TO DO?
- You need to check with the local council to see if your site has a bushfire or flood overlay.
- Look up the Rural Fire Brigade websites for some helpful hints about building in bushfire zones. The NSW rural fire brigade has a particularly useful article here.
- In the case of a bushfire overlay – look at the risk level. This is the risk posed by bushfire to the site. You may find that your home site is close to heavy scrub. Or, the other consideration may be the type of bushland and the slope of the ground. If you have a house site that is relatively flat, the risk won't be too significant. Needless to say, a sloping site can quite often have a heightened fire risk. Check out this document on Bushfire Attack Levels or BAL. We've also got a helpful article on bushfires here.
- If your home is in a flood overlay zone, you will need to ensure the house is above the flood level set by the council. This usually involves building a pad or having the home installed higher.
COUNCIL PLANNING OVERLAYS FOR ACREAGE SITES
Which brings us to our last point. You need to find out if the acreage block you are considering for purchase has any council planning issues. These issues can take the form of a planning zone or "overlay" map. The reason for this is some overlays can make a block of land very difficult, if not impossible, to build on.
WHAT ARE OVERLAYS & ZONES?
So, what are overlays and zones? Firstly they are a way for the council to easily categorise different areas of the local area. Consequently, they are then able to ensure safe building practices as well as ensure the culture, environment and livability of the locality are retained. Some of the standard overlays that many councils use are bushfire, flood, heritage, eco-habitat and landslip. Almost every local council and government area are different, and there are literally hundreds of different overlays out there – most of which won’t affect your site.
Now, how to find out if your block is affected? The easiest way to find out if any overlays do affect your site and potentially limit your building options is to contact your local council or a town-planner. Once you've provided the address of the land, they will be able to check this out very quickly and provide you with the relevant information.
Interested in building a modular home on your acreage block?
If you think that building a new modular home might be the best option for you, and you’re interested in a more streamlined construction process, talk to the team at Westbuilt Homes.
We have been designing and building stunning modular homes since 1993. The construction process of a modular home is very different to that of a conventional home, giving you greater control over the construction time, the quality and the timeframe.
To learn more about modular construction, book a no obligation consultation with one of our modular experts. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.
