Where are we going to find that lot, so we can build the new home? I do not like to drive forty miles through heavy traffic to get to work every morning and back again at night.
After you are satisfied that getting to and from work will not be too difficult, there are other con?siderations. How will the children get to school? Be sure there is a proper school not too far away, or that a school bus picks up the children in the neighborhood. Then there is the simple matter of shopping for the daily groceries. Are suitable mar?kets not too far away? If you have a preference as to the church you attend, can one be reached within a reasonable distance?
Utilities
Although many people think that such things as electricity, gas, water, and telephone lines come au?tomatically, there are places where one or more of these services is not available, and it is well to make a thorough check to see that all of these are satis?factory and that their cost is reasonable.
If sewers are not available, you can usually get along with a septic tank, but this will cost more than connecting to a sewer. If, however, there is a monthly charge for the sewer, perhaps in time this would make things come out about even.
A good water supply is, of course, the first neces?sity. You wouldn’t want a house where you could not get good water and plenty of it. It is well to in?quire about the water supply. Is the pressure adequate during the dry season? Is the water safe to drink, and does it taste good?
A dependable source of electricity is also a must. What about the rates? To get so far out that you try to generate your own electricity is only for those few hardy souls who do not mind poor or indifferent service at considerable expense and trouble.
Good telephone service is a necessity in our modern civilization. Be sure it is available without your having to build or pay for building a mile or two of line.
Natural gas is now piped to many localities; and it is very useful, but where it is not available, bot?tled gas can usually be secured. If not, oil can be used for heating and for heating water. Or you can use coal, or even wood in some rural forested areas.
Or you can use electricity for heating purposes, if you insulate the house properly. Many electric com?panies give very low rates for electricity used to heat water, and often for heating the whole house. Gas is not an absolute necessity, but it is well to give con?sideration to what will take its place.
Public transportation passing near your new home is a great convenience. Everybody has cars now?adays, but some families have only one car, and when a man drives it to work, what does his wife do for transportation? But if a man can take the bus to work, he will save money, and his wife can have the car at home.
Or if both husband and wife are employed, the problem is greatly simplified if a good dependable bus line runs near the place. There is usually less nervous tension generated in riding in a bus than there is in fighting your own way through the rush hour traffic.
The View
The view is not an absolute necessity in selecting a site for your new home, but it can well be a very important con?sideration. It must be admitted that there are not nearly enough sites with magnificent views (such that everyone can have one).
Do try to get a lot that is large enough so that you can do something with it. Perhaps you can buy what was originally planned as two lots and make it into a very attractive place. Then again,suppose you can get only one lot 60′ x 120′ in size. You can still do a great deal with it by careful planning.
Select your lot with care and you will be well satisfied with your home.
By: Russell R. Freeman