If you’re searching for land or building lots for sale in Northern Virginia to build a home, then site selection is one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make.
In this short video series I discuss some of the different aspects of site selection when searching for a suitable home site in Northern Virginia. In this first video I’ll talk about water, utilities and waste management.
First, you need to know does your site have access to public sewer or does it require a septic system? If it requires a septic system, has it passed a perc test? Equally important, has the county approved the perc test results and issued a septic certification letter?
If the site has access to public sewer, then you probably will not need a septic system. However, you might have to pay a sewer connection fee. You should can call the waste water management department to find out exactly what that connection fee will be.
Next, does the property have access to public water, or will you have to drill a well? Well water often tastes better than public water and it saves you money on your water bill. However, it’s tough to estimate the costs of drilling a well, because you never really know how deep you have to go until you start drilling.
PRO TIP: If the property you’re looking at requires a well, you can sometimes get a rough idea of how deep you’ll have to drill by studying the land records of neighboring properties. Pick the three or four closest houses to where you’re planning to build, and ask the health department for copies of the well and septic records related to those addresses. These records will often show the depth of the wells on those properties, so you can use that as a rough guide for your own project.
If the site doesn’t already have electricity then call the power company to find out how much it would cost to extend the power lines to your property. There are also advantages to running the power underground, so ask the electric company if that’s an option and how much it would cost.
Finally, don’t forget to think about things like natural gas and internet availability. As surprising as it sounds, even though 70% of the world’s internet traffic passes through Northern Virginia, there are still areas where internet connections are spotty.
If you’ve got any questions as you continue your search for land and lots for sale in Northern Virginia, feel free to reach out to me any time.
