How To Design Your Own House

       So, for every property you are considering you need to do a Zoning Study.

       This step is most important! Here you will find out whether the property you are looking at is worth buying.

        When the Builders (my Clients) want to buy land for investment, I do Zoning Studies for them: very often the lots they are considering turn out not to be a good investment.

        For the amount of money they need to spend to build a house, they will not get a return they expect. I end up advising them against buying lots like that.  What do they do then? They keep on looking at different properties until they find ones that work.

       It takes time and effort to research every property but they won't buy it until they can minimize their risk (first) and maximize their profit (second). 

       You have to do the same. 

       Call your township or city Zoning or Planning Department and ask to see the Zoning Official.

       You would tell him (or her, of course) you are planning to purchase the property and would like to know whether it is:

• buildable or are there any problems, like:
• proximity to wetlands, or
• being in a flight corridor (really bad thing to have airplanes landing and taking off over your house! And these planes can sneak up on you at 4 AM and you'd never known it just by visiting the site during the day. I've had this happen to me, believe me.)
• are there any toxic dumps in the area
• what kind of soil does your site have (clay, sand or other,) etc.

      The Zoning Official will show you a map of the area, and the property you are considering, and describe how your property relates to the rest of the town. Ask for a copy of your lot boundaries from that map.

      Ask also whether there are any big subdivisions being planned in your future neighborhood. Now, that could totally turn your quiet little street into a commuting nightmare!      

      The Zoning Official will also be able to tell you what zoning district your property is located.

      Knowing that is crucial!

     The zoning district rules will determine the yards requirements for your house, which means how far from the property lines must your house sit.

      You'll find out whether or not you can have a parking space in front of your house or on the side of it (just like one of the zoning districts in New York City) or in the back, how big your house can be (in square feet), what should be its maximum height and whether you can build only a single house, a three-family one or an entire apartment building on it!

       And even if the distances from the property line the zoning regulations want you to keep may seem restrictive, don't get angry. The zoning rules are the good guys. On the lookout for you.    

       They are designed to protect you from the fire that might spread from your neighbor's house, make sure your house won't be in shade if your neighbor decides to build one more story and also to preserve the value of your house by having all the neighborhood adhere to similar standards.

      Well…

       …Congratulations, you just did a Zoning Study.  Just remember: take your time! Zoning study is the single most important element of your project, if it is not done right, it will come to haunt you later!

       Next we'll talk about what to do with all this information. 

       See you in the field,

       Bogna

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