I'm sure this has been talked about before but I'm starting a new thread. I've finally convinced my wife to move to Newark, though she would prefer building a new house to buying something. I took my grandma to dinner the last time I was home and was talking about moving back and she said we could build at the front of her property, so we might have access to free or cheap land to build on.

Who on here has built a house on their own land before? What are things I need to know before we even think of starting the process? Obviously budget is the biggest factor. I've been looking at some of the custom home builders in the area trying to get an idea of what's out there. I found one that actually has build prices listed, though they are obviously just a starting point. 

This is the field my grandma said I could build on. Has a wooded "pond" area that would be the backyard view. The front yard view would be wooded state land. The field is about 2.5 acres, her entire property is about 125 acres. 

most important thing is drainage, partly for keeping your basement/foundation integrity but most importantly for the septic/leech bed. I'm assuming you'll have access to a municipal water supply, if so you'll need to get a price for running the line to your home and the tie in costs. If not, you'll need to price a water well. Getting power and internet to your property are also things you need to be ready to account for. something i've heard others mention is to have an inspector look through the house while building is ongoing to make sure things are done correctly and can be fixed before being covered up by walls.

all that said. congrats. happy building.

If you are not creating a separate lot, you don’t have to worry about frontage. But with a separate lot, you will need access to a road, along with 40-60 foot frontage.  That frontage differs a little bit from county to county. 

(I’m on my town’s Planning Commission……we deal with this kind of stuff often)

posted by j_crazy

most important thing is drainage, partly for keeping your basement/foundation integrity but most importantly for the septic/leech bed. I'm assuming you'll have access to a municipal water supply, if so you'll need to get a price for running the line to your home and the tie in costs. If not, you'll need to price a water well. Getting power and internet to your property are also things you need to be ready to account for. something i've heard others mention is to have an inspector look through the house while building is ongoing to make sure things are done correctly and can be fixed before being covered up by walls.

all that said. congrats. happy building.

Water well for sure, if we build on the land mentioned above it is WAY out in the sticks. Power is already there, you can kinda see the gap thru the pond area where power lines run.

Obviously nothing set in stone, but I'm VERY motivated to make this a reality so here's hoping.

posted by BRF

If you are not creating a separate lot, you don’t have to worry about frontage. But with a separate lot, you will need access to a road, along with 40-60 foot frontage.  That frontage differs a little bit from county to county. 

(I’m on my town’s Planning Commission……we deal with this kind of stuff often)

I'm not 100% sure what this means. By separate lot, would her selling or giving us the 2.5 acres be considered a separate lot? The road runs along the bottom of the picture above and has about 500' of frontage. Either way, I think we'd be good.

Looks like a nice piece of land.  I don't know anything about building a home like this, but I'm sure you'll figure it out.  You strike me as the kind of guy who will be happier out in the sticks. 

MUCH happier.

First major improvement if this becomes a reality is making that a permanent and well stocked pond.

That would be a great spot for a log cabin. Always wanted one. My high school football coach and his buddies built one themselves my senior year of HS. Real nice.

Internet availability?

Grandma has access at her house on the property, I think Windstream. It's nothing great, but it works. I'd likely look into get Starlink if it was available in the area.

This is from Google Streetview from the front right corner of the property. It's pretty level but there are some soft undulations that are a little more prominent on the other side.

posted by justincredible

By separate lot, would her selling or giving us the 2.5 acres be considered a separate lot? The road runs along the bottom of the picture above and has about 500' of frontage. Either way, I think we'd be good.

Yes, selling or giving the land to you will require a separate lot and it does look like you would be good with the frontage.

I assume that frontage requirement is just so you're able to get a driveway out to the road?

Cookout and bonfire at Justin’s late September 2023

Researching costs for drilling a water well and I ran across this site:

https://apps.ohiodnr.gov/water/maptechs/wellogs/app/townships.asp?County=89&mode=0&CountyName=LICKING&wln=

You can select township, then street to see any wells listed on that street to get a general idea of likely well depth. Chances are it would be between 100-150ft on this property.

posted by justincredible

Power is already there

That's just what you tell the wife, right?  You're not really going to live on the grid, are you?

posted by justincredible

I assume that frontage requirement is just so you're able to get a driveway out to the road?

Correct 

posted by gut
That's just what you tell the wife, right?  You're not really going to live on the grid, are you?

posted by justincredible

I'm not 100% sure what this means. By separate lot, would her selling or giving us the 2.5 acres be considered a separate lot? The road runs along the bottom of the picture above and has about 500' of frontage. Either way, I think we'd be good.

Hopefully you're using an attorney to make sure the property deed has all the p's and q's.   BRF made me think of my grandfather's 23 acres on the mountain in WV.  Years ago my mother and her 7 siblings divided it into 8 lots.  The attorney who handled it mentioned the  required driveway access, which affected some lots more than others.  Reading my mother's paperwork and copies of emails, one uncle was not happy that the driveway access for his and 3 other lots  would take more than half of his property, due to the terrain and orientation to the road, while the other 3 lots would lose much less.

Shouldn’t have issues like that, but definitely good to keep in mind. 

I assume you’ll have nice porch furniture

I can't imagine Newark has quite the micro brewery scene that Cincy does lol

Newark has Dankhouse. That's enough for me.

posted by Ironman92

I assume you’ll have nice porch furniture

She has 125 acres, and is only letting you have 2.5?  Come on, grandma.