Buying land out in the country is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city, a place of retreat, which is why we see the number of rural land sales increasing. Although there are some very knowledgeable and reputable real estate agents that can help with this situation, most focus more on populated areas. For this reason, when you begin your search for rural land, you want to work with someone that concentrates on this part of real estate.
Unfortunately, many people forget about rural areas. For some, they feel the commute to work is too far but in truth, there are rural areas that might add no more than 15 minutes onto a drive into the city. Just remember that while some rural areas are very affordable, others have skyrocketed in price. Again, a solid real estate agent can pinpoint the best land for the best price, saving you significant time and effort.
All across the country people are starting to head for the hills. Looking for a quiet place to live or perhaps land to buy now, which can later be used for building the dream retirement home. Regardless of the reason, having rural land provides the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors right from your backyard. Many times, you will find people creating large gardens for fresh foods, hunting, riding ATVs, hiking, or simply hosting outdoor events for family and friends.
The key with rural land is to make sure the price you pay upfront is fair. For this, you need to work with an experienced developer, someone who will work closely with you to keep costs down while creating exactly the home you want. The cost of the land and work to get it prepared for building will take up anywhere from 25% to 30% of the overall budget. To keep this cost down, you need to be aware of several things.
For starters, while it is nice to get outside the city limits and onto acreage, a good rule to follow is that the further out you go, the more expensive to build. The reason is that utilities and cost of shipping materials will be much higher. After all, if a well had to be dug so you have fresh water and a septic tank system installed, you can be sure that percentage will climb. Depending on where the property is located, you could easily add $5,000 to the cost of the well installation alone.
Other hidden costs of rural land could be having adequate gas and electrical supply. Then, cell phones would likely not work, you have the expense of gas getting to and from town, there may not be fire or police support nearby, and so on. Even so, rural land is a great investment. Just be sure you weigh the odds of price and convenience of living close in or far out into the country so you make the best decision possible.