How to Find the Best Location for Buying Land

Buying land with the ultimate goal of building a home on it is beyond exciting! This is a major goal for many people, but can be a little overwhelming. The process begins with choosing a location, which may seem simple, but in fact there are many factors to consider before you settle on the perfect location. Deciding on a specific area may take a little research and thought upfront, but it will pay back big time down the road. We want you to be prepared and get the most out of your investment long-term, so read on to learn about choosing the perfect location. 

How Do You Decide What Land to Buy?

Many people get so excited when they decide they’re going to buy land that they immediately jump online and start searching properties. While this may be fun, it can be counterproductive. The sheer number of properties available would take a long time to comb through without first setting some parameters for your search. 

Luckily, there are some things you can do before you search. The following tips will help you get a better idea of the land you want so you can narrow your search criteria and find the perfect location. 

General Location

When choosing a location for your land, it’s best to start with a wide view. As you make decisions, you narrow down your search criteria and end up with an excellent picture of your ideal piece of land, which will help when you start your search. 

That’s why we suggest that people always start with the general location. Some people are looking for land near where they currently live, or close to relatives, kids, grandkids, or friends. For others, the location of the land isn’t as important as other factors, which we’ll cover below. 

If you don’t have a location in mind, don’t worry. If you do, write it down and keep it in mind as we go through the rest of this guide. 

Ideal Climate

For those that already have a fairly specific location in mind, climate is most likely already decided. But this is still something to consider in the early stages. 

Would you prefer a warmer climate? Have you always wanted to own property in the mountains or in the great prairie lands of the American Midwest? 

For many people, climate is one of the deciding factors. If you have multiple climates in mind that you would be happy with, write them down! When combined with other factors below, they’ll help you decide on the perfect piece of land. 

Acreage

Next on the list is acreage. This is a two-parter because when thinking about the ideal size of your plot, it’s important to consider what you want to do with the property in terms of lifestyle and activities. You’ll also want to consider the size of the home you want to build on the land. 

Lifestyle and Activities

There’s a lot you can do with the right land. And determining what you want to do and how you want to live are very important in choosing a location. 

If you want to grow your own food, you’ll need to have the room to do that. Plus, you’ll want to consider the climate, soil, and any irrigation needs. Or perhaps you’ll want to hunt and fish on the land. Maybe you’d like to build a dirt bike course. 

Some are looking to live a minimalist lifestyle with a tiny home on their property. Others may want to build several homes on the property so that guests can come and stay for as long as they want. 

You don’t have to have an exact acreage in mind yet, but it’s important to have a good idea of how large or small a property you want. 

Again, write down what you want to do with the property and how much acreage you think will be best for your needs. 

Characteristics

While you were thinking about lifestyle and activities, you probably conjured up a picture of your ideal land in your mind. Think about what characteristics it had. 

Did it have tall trees? If so, what kind were they? Was there greenery all around? Did you imagine a stream or a lake nearby? 

Perhaps you envisioned a grand vista or saguaro cactuses growing nearby. These characteristics are important to consider before searching for land. They will help you narrow down your search even further. And if you want more than one characteristic, write them all down. For example, if you want a piece of land with trees, greenery, fishing, and a grand vista, you’ve really narrowed your search criteria.

Surrounding Area

Now let’s talk about what you want out of the area surrounding your property. Here we’re not talking so much about the landscape or natural features. Instead, we’re talking about infrastructure and essentials. 

There are many factors to consider here. For example, it’s good to think about how close to the nearest neighbors you want to be. Similarly, determining how close you want to be to the nearest city or town is important. If you’re looking for a property that’s likely to increase in value over the years, you’ll probably want land in a quickly developing area. 

It’s also important to consider healthcare needs, determining how close a hospital or physician you want your land to be. Plus, it’s good to consider things like shopping for groceries and other essentials. If you’re planning on raising kids at your new property, you’ll also want to consider the quality of the schools and whether you will need to provide transportation for the kids to and from school. 

Budget & Zoning

Lastly, let’s discuss budget and zoning criteria. When you’re trying to get an idea of your perfect land so you can start the process, it’s good to know how much you want to spend on the land. Keep in mind that there are plenty of affordable financing options, especially from us here at Land Elevated.

You’ll also want to have a broad idea of what kind of zoning the property will require. Determining what you want to do with the land, as far as building a home or homes on it, farming, or building other structures, is important to determine proper zoning. 

Many zoning laws aren’t set in stone, but it’s still good to know a little about what you want from the land so you’ll know what to look for when you search for properties. 

Conclusion

Finding the perfect piece of land is an adventure! And thinking about what you want out of your land can be half the fun. Writing these criteria down and keeping them in a binder or a folder can help you keep your thoughts organized as you go through the steps to get your dream land. 

Feel free to revise these criteria as you continue to think about your perfect land. Having a good idea of the land you want, even if it’s fairly broad at this stage, will help you as you go through the fun and exciting land-buying process!

We hope this article helps you determine how to choose the right piece of land for you. Stay tuned for more helpful tips for finding the perfect land.