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BUYING LAND Prior to purchasing your land: call the building department and find out what the front, back and side set backs are. Decide if you want to drive around your dome to access the back yard. Determine the largest size dome(s) that you want to build on the property; this will determine the width of the property that you will need. For example if you decide you want a 40’ dome home linked to a 27’ two car garage you will need at least 77’ plus the side sets and drive around space. {40 + 27 + 10 (Link); + side set backs + drive around space}. Prior to purchasing your land check out these items to assure you can build your dome: - Assure there is no Home Owner’s Association governing the land and restricting what can be built on it.
- Assure there are no Deed Restrictions stopping you from building a dome.
- Assure there are no environmental or rare animal species concerns for the property.
- Ask if your area has impact fees...fees to pay for new roads, schools, fire stations. In Florida the impact fees to obtain a building permit can be as much as $10,000 or more depending on the area.
- If the land is near water, ask the building department if your house has be built on pilings and a platform. This can drive up your costs $60,000 to $80,000.
- Determine if the ground contains rock that has to be blasted out before your foundation can be built.
- Ask the building department if any fill has to be brought in before you can form your foundation. Usually the foundation has to be so many inches above the crown of the nearest road. For protection from flooding, the building department knows what height the ground needs to be under your foundation. If it is low lying ground, you might have to bring in four feet of fill or more. This could amount to several truck loads of fill. You want to know about this possible expense before you purchase the property. Click on the following to learn more:
Purchase your land under the following conditions: - If you do not have city sewer, assure the soil will perk for your septic drain field.
- If you do not have city water, assure that water can be found on the property. If you have to drill a well, how many feet did your neighbors have to go before they found water.....100 feet, 200 feet, 300 feet. How much does it cost per foot in your area to drill a well?
- Electricity is accessible to your property. Sometimes your neighbors have to sign easements to get electricity brought to your property.
- There are no environmental concerns.
- Side setbacks and front and back setbacks do not stop you from building the size dome(s) you want. Your zoning department knows what these set back distances are.
- That you can build on it. If there is a spring or flowing water on the property, building departments determine how close you can build to water. This might cause the property to not have enough buildable space left on it. Check with your building department to find out how close you can build next to water.
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