Selecting the right property is the first important step in the process of designing and building your green dream home. We all know the first rule of real estate is “location, location, location,” but the other first rule is “make sure you can build the home you want on the property.” Each property is unique, subject to its own physical attributes and local laws, rules and regulations that pertain to it. Imagine that you have found a beautiful site for the home you have long desired, with great views, lots of trees, and a stream running through it – and the price is right. But can you build on it? Before you commit to the purchase, you need to make sure about that.

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The design needs to comply with local codes relating to location, size, height, septic, etc., and some properties have specific limitations, such as easements, aesthetic review, wetlands, and the like. A good realtor will know what these are, and a copy of the Survey may identify some or all of these issues. In the Hudson Valley, one of the primary concerns is the ability of the site to support a septic system for the number of bedrooms that you want. We recommend that buyers consider properties that already have Board of Health Approval (BOHA), which will be for a stated number of bedrooms. If the seller does not have a BOHA or is unwilling to obtain one as a condition to your purchase, you will want to hire your own site engineer to make sure that an adequate septic system can be installed, and to estimate the cost of all the site work, before you close.

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Atlantic Custom Homes will help you evaluate properties, review the Survey and site paperwork, and do a Site Visit with you, without charge. The Site Visit is extremely important for a number of reasons: to verify the Survey, review any site restrictions, choose potential house placement and orientation, and to help you design a custom Post & Beam Lindal Cedar Home that uses the best features of the land and fits well on it, incorporating green building methods and technology. The design process can’t go too far without our understanding of the site and how best to incorporate the home into the site. We take great care to optimize design, location and orientation to maximize passive solar opportunities and, if desired, placement of solar PV panels.

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Whether your choice is a Classic Lindal, modern Lindal Elements, Lindal Architects Collaborative, or the Turkel Design Lindals for the Dwell Homes Collection, each Lindal Post & Beam home will be custom designed for you and your site. To learn more, visit Atlanticcustom.homes.