How to Choose the Best Location for Your New Custom Home

You’ve purchased a lot in State College, Bellefonte or the surrounding area and you are excited to build your dream home. There list of decisions to be made is endless when building a custom home. One of the most important decisions you need to make early on is where to position your home on your land. This decision is crucial in building process. Triple E Homes will discuss five considerations to help you choose the best location for your custom home. 

 The first and most important step to consider when choosing the location of your new home is what is the natural state of your land? Many lots require clearing and excavation in order to prepare the home site. If your lot is wooded, which many are in Centre County, PA, you need to decide how much you need and want to clear for your new home. The amount of labor required to prepare the land for new construction can have a significant impact on both your building timeline and budget. This is not a step to be overlooked. 

 There are numerous considerations when deciding on the orientation and placement of your home in relation to the surroundings. Do you want your home to be more secluded in a wooded area of your lot or visible from the road? How long of a driveway are you willing to have? Long driveways are not only most costly but require more maintenance in wintery weather. Another big consideration is how close will your home be to any surrounding homes. This is often a big deciding factor when building homes on smaller lots or in a neighborhood. Even homes built on small lots can have ample backyard space with the correct lot position.  If you are building in an existing neighborhood be sure to check any home owner’s association architectural or landscaping codes that may affect your home’s construction. 

The choice of foundation affects the ideal position of your home on the lot and ultimately your budget. The type of foundation may also be limited by excavation scenarios. For example, a lot with a steep grade may lend itself well to a walk out basement. Walk out basements not only increase your home’s overall esthetic but also can maximize living space and views. One drawback of a walkout basement is you may run into added costs when excavating the land. 

Understanding the direction of sunlight on your lot is important when planning placement of windows in your custom home. Take some time to observe your lot at different times of the day and take note of where the sun shines. This will help you determine the optimal layout of your home based on the amount of sunlight it will receive. You want to optimize the amount of natural light in your spaces. You can also use the weather to improve energy consumption of your home. Centre County, PA has a cooler climate, by placing your home in direct sunlight you can help keep your home warm and reduce heating costs. If you plan to use of solar panels to help power your home this will also impact where you choose to place your home on the lot.

Privacy is often one of the biggest concern of homeowners when choosing a location for their custom home. Larger, wooded lots will provider ample privacy but privacy on a smaller, neighborhood lot can be achieved with proper planning. Consider placement of your home in relation to existing trees or embankments that may help provide privacy. If your privacy options are limited consider building a fence if you desire more privacy.

We have reviewed a few key factors to consider when positioning your custom home. This is just the start of the journey to your new custom home. The expert Amish craftsmen at Triple E Homes are here to make the process of building your custom home in Centre County a straight forward process.  Contact us today to schedule a consultation.