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Great Ideas for Your Home
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Your new home must be somewhere. The question is, where?
To start your search for lots in Utah County, use a good map to
identify areas you would consider based on distance to work and other
family activities. Decide what is acceptable to your family. Consider
also the quality of schools, nearby shopping, and what the future holds
for the area in the city's master plan.
Take your time in making this decision. Many details about your new
home can be remodeled in later years as your lifestyle evolves, but
changing the location is not an option.
This choice of location is a matter of lifestyle and attitudes, not
a matter of right or wrong. If you are new to the area, you may need to
do some exploring. Even those of us who have lived here for many years
are surprised with the new developments springing up in cities such as
Lehi, Cedar Hills, Highland, Mapleton, Salem and even Orem.
Be sure to check out the "Land Development" section of this magazine
for new subdivisions that are now available to build in.
Other effective ways to find your site may include driving around,
talking to real estate agents, looking at builder lots, and reading
newspaper ads.
Before purchasing a lot, there are other factors to consider. Is the
lot in a flood plain? Talk with adjacent property owners if possible.
Ask them if there have been any instances of high water or excessive
runoff in periods of extended rainfall. Have a soils test done. Find
out if there is a high-water table that may make a basement impossible.
Zoning laws are also important. These laws control what can be built
where. You need to determine if you can build exactly what you want.
Are there restrictive covenants in the neighborhood? Find out if there
are and obtain a copy of them so you will know what will be mandatory
in the building of your home.
Have a site survey done by a registered surveyor. You should
absolutely know what you are buying. An accurate survey will enable you
to determine if there is an encroachment problem with your lot or an
adjacent lot.
Last but not least, pay attention to the compass orientation of the
lot. Perhaps you want to incorporate solar heating. If so, the side of
your house with the most glass should face south. Remember that north
exposure fronts will keep the winter ice and snow longer than those
facing other directions.
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