CHOOSING YOUR SITE

You know what they say: the three most important things about real estate are location, location, location! It's true for your cob home too!

Here's a list of some things to consider when looking for land:

• Getting land to build on is the first and probably the biggest step towards your dream of "home sweet home". Reading this book will give you some good ideas about what to look for. Take your time, use your intuition and be brave! If you choose to lease or rent land, make sure you have a very clear, written legal agreement with the landowner that ensures your right to live on the land.
  
  
• Who will you live with? Are you sure you want to live with this person(s)? Make clear agreements regarding the use of the land with your land partners.
  
  
• Your feelings: do you love the place? Are you ready and willing to make a commitment to this piece of land?
  
  
• Restrictions: building codes, covenants, zoning, minerals, water, and access rights
  
  
• Future plans for the surrounding areas: clear cut? a non-organic farm? noisy factory?
  
  
• History of the land
  
  
• Economics: price of the land, payment plan
  
  
• Climate: solar access, rainfall, wind, potential disasters: earth-quake, hurricane, flood, etc.
  
  
• Good homesite(s), drainage
  
  
• Dependable year round water source for drinking and irrigation
  
  
• Erosion: flood plains? clear cuts uphill of the land?
  
  
• Neighbors: privacy, noise, property lines
  
  
• Surrounding community: diversity, culture, schools
  
  
• Views
  
  
• Toxic pollutants in the area, or on the land
  
  
• Can you get what you need and want in a nearby town-resources, services, jobs, economic health of the area?
  
  
• Accessibility: check out economic and environmental costs of road building and maintenance, commuting distance to town, road conditions