Building a home in the mountains of Colorado: that’s the dream for so many people. Having a few acres filled with pine trees and wildlife, waking up to brisk mountain air filling your lungs, finding comfort in the unique design of a house that you built from scratch—all of these aspects are things to look forward to when you build a custom home. It is an exciting day when you make the decision to build a house on a piece of property, especially in the beautiful scape of Colorado. The next step after that involves one of the biggest, life-changing decisions you will ever make: where do you want to live? Where do you want to build your custom home?

Purchasing property for your custom house is the very first step when it comes to building your dream home, and it can often involve a number of complicated factors that you would not have to consider if you were purchasing a pre-built home in a neighborhood. To help you through this process, we’ve put together a guide of everything you need to think about when it comes to buying land for your custom home.

Budget

As with the start of every home building process, the very first and most important step is deciding how much you actually want to spend. Deciding on a budget and figuring out how much you can afford will greatly determine the place and type of home that you will get in the long run. Unlike buying a home, building a custom house means that you have to set aside money to both purchase the land and to construct your home. It is best to determine your budget in advance, that way you won’t fall in love with a giant piece of property that will not leave you with enough money to build your house.

Location

Once you know an estimate of what you want to spend for a piece of property, it is time to find the perfect spot for your future oasis. There are many factors that influence this decision, as the location of your house will shape the way that you live. When viewing properties, ask yourself: does this place fit the lifestyle that I want? Do I enjoy being secluded in the mountains or would I rather be closer to town? How far away is this from a store, or my job? How will this place be in the winter time?

As you shop around properties, create a checklist of all the things that you want in a place, then think about what things you can be flexible about. For instance, having a piece of property with room for horse stables might be a non-negotiable for you, and you are okay with being an extra 30 minutes away from town even if it is not preferred. Having an experienced realtor that knows the area that you want to live in will be a great help with this process. It will also help if the realtor is familiar with buying land with the intention to build a house on it.

Logistics

If you have selected a few possible properties, the next step is to think about the logistics of the land. Will this property be able to fit the needs of a house? Work with your realtor or your custom home builder to find out:

• The number of access roads leading into your property—is there only one way in and one way out?
• If there is enough square footage potential for the home that you want
• If you have access to utility services like water, septic, and electricity
• If the property is properly zoned for residential use
• If you need to excavate a large portion of the property to clear out hills, streams, boulders, or slopes to make room for you house

Working with someone experienced will be a tremendous help with this process, whether that is a realtor who knows the ins-and-outs of home building or a custom home builder who knows what to look for. Deciding on these factors before you make the purchase could save you a lot of time and money in the future.

The Next Steps

Good news! You have found the perfect lot and have closed on the deal! If you haven’t already, the next step includes hiring a qualified, experienced custom home builder that knows what it takes to build a house in the mountains. There are a lot of differences when it comes to building a house in a neighborhood on a designated plot of land, and building a house on a few acres of mountainous terrain. Make sure that your custom home builder knows what they are doing when it comes to building a custom home in the mountains of Colorado.

Colarelli Custom Homes is custom home builder in Colorado Springs, and we are experts in all of these areas, as we offer realty services, lot assessment services, and custom home building services. We have years of experience building homes in the Colorado environment and know everything involved in building a mountain home. Contact us today if you want to start your custom home building journey off right.