Tips for buying acreage homes

Are you considering buying a house and acreage land on the Sunshine Coast? Many people are leaving the city for a quieter, more peaceful life, and acreage living offers a lot of benefits. Here are some things to consider before you buy.

Always stay within your budget

When buying rural or acreage land, you always want to have a clear budget in mind. It can be difficult to do, because you need to have a good idea of what it’s going to cost to build your home too. Often, you haven’t gotten that far when you first look at buying your land. However, having at least a rough idea of the building costs gives you an overall picture of how much you can spend.

The danger of not planning accordingly, of course, is buying land and not having enough money to build your dream home. It’s never a good feeling to sacrifice features or quality in your new home because you’ve overspent on the land.

Find acreage home designs that suit your lifestyle

If you’re moving to a rural or acreage property, you likely have a certain lifestyle in mind. Whether you’ve got a young family, planning on having a family, or you’re retiring for a quieter life, make sure you consider the future. Many people who move to acreage properties want it to be their last stop, so it’s important to think about the lifestyle you want to have.

You may want to raise livestock, be self-sufficient with large gardens, install a pool or just have a lot of open space for the kids to play. You may want an expansive outdoor area for entertaining, or you may just want a smaller home that accommodates your family. Whatever you want make sure you get a home design that really suits your needs.

Has your acreage Sunshine Coast lot have access to the site

Acreage properties are a little different to the city where access to services is usually very simple. On rural land, you need to check for access to water, power and sewerage. Depending on the type and location of land, your costs may vary in terms of setting these things up.

Your builders will need power, which can sometimes mean a lot of cabling and an upgraded meter box. Additionally, they may require ‘all weather access’, meaning you might need to upgrade the driveway area so they can get in on wet days.

These are pretty standard requirements when you find acreage land for sale on the Sunshine Coast, but it can affect your upfront costs so it’s worth planning ahead.

Check the bushfire zone and wind ratings

Many rural homes are situated in bushfire prone areas. This means you need to be prepared for that risk, but it also means you might have special requirements when building. A Bushfire Attack Level assessment needs to be completed, and you’ll need to use fireproofing materials in the construction of your home. It’s obviously the safest way to go, but it can increase your costs.

In addition, if your land is in a high or open area, you may find the wind rating is higher than lower areas. You’ll need to build your home with additional bracing, which again, adds to the building costs. Again, these things are pretty standard for vacant acreage house and land purchases, but you need to be aware of them so you can budget accordingly.

Always look for fixed quotes

Finally, when it comes time to design and build your home, always look for fixed quotes. Professional acreage builders on the Sunshine Coast have the experience needed to give you an accurate quote for building your home. They’ll check the land and assess it for any additional requirements such as site and services access, wind ratings and Bushfire Attack Level.

By only accepting fixed-price quotes, you can rest assured that you won’t be greeted with any surprises while your home is being built. If your builder won’t offer a fixed price, find one who will.

Avondale Homes offers fixed price quotes, and we also have a 24-hour turnaround on build contracts. Less waiting, more building, and we get you into your dream home faster. For experienced acreage home builders on the Sunshine Coast, you can’t go wrong with Avondale Homes. Contact our team today, because we’d love to help your dream home become a reality.