Crestone Domes

Yesterday we put a bid in on a piece of land, which is very exciting. We found a lot on the same street as the last dome we made. It is a beautiful lot with lots of trees and a view of the mountains.

Before we decided to buy this piece, we had a digger over to see if he could do it (since it is a difficult lot to build on). Then we checked the slope with a laser level to see how much we have to dig down, and if the sewer pipes are going to have enough fall. We walked the lot, looking for the corner markers, and found that one is missing. This will have to be surveyed before the closing.

We were also told that the water tap fee has been paid, but because mistakes happen, we still made a call to the local water district to make sure that the tap fee was indeed paid. If it wasn’t, it would cost us $7,500.00, so it was well worth making a quick call, just to make sure.

In this area, we also have to deal with the local property owner’s association. Since they require that no more than 30% of the lot is disturbed during the building process, we had to make a drawing of the lot and mark the placement of the house and the area that has to be disturbed and make sure it was under 30%. In addition, we made a call to find out if the Environmental & Architectural Committee would have a problem with two domes on the same street. Luckily, they didn’t, so we went ahead and put a bid in on the lot. The closing happens at the end of March.
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Tags: Tips for Buying Land

We have finally found a piece of land that we like. Unfortunately, it isn’t an easy piece to work on, but we think it can be done. The first thing we did was to get the guy who does the digging over to check it out. He said it wasn’t going to be easy, but it could probably be done. His main concern was the slope, and how much he would have to dig down to make a flat area for the house and garage.

Slope is always deceiving – you can’t really tell, just by looking, how steep a lot really is. So we brought out our laser level and checked the high and the low points to see what the difference really is. We were surprised to find that the lot wasn’t as steep as it looked. From the highest point, to the lowest, there is about 6 feet difference. To makes this area level, we basically have to dig down 3 feet, drag the dirt over to the other side, and build up that side 3 feet. Now, that isn’t actually too bad. The driveway slopes a bit, which i ok. Just before it hits the road, there is a bit of a dip where we probably need 2-3 loads of roadbase, but it is all doable.

The other thing we checked while we were out there, was the slope from the center of the house to the road. This is where the sewer lines go, and there has to be a certain fall on them for the sewer to flow properly. Ideally, it has to be 1/4″ per foot. More is ok, but less doesn’t work. 1/4″ per foot is 2 1/2″ per 10 feet, or 25″ per 100 feet. Because the driveway slopes a bit, there is plenty of fall.
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Tags: Tips for Buying Land

Utilities can easily become an unexpected expense when buying a land. The first thing you need to find out is whether any utilities are available near the lot. The phone company will usually give you a credit for bringing phone service to your land, but once the credit has been used up, they will charge you by the foot, which adds up very quickly!

If you find that bringing in phone service is going to cost a lot, you have two options – either get a cell phone for your phone service, and satelite for your internet, or rent a machine and dig the line yourself. Then all you have to pay for is the cable, which isn’t too bad.

If water is not available, you may have to drill a well. Contact a local well driller to find out what the going rate per foot is, and also ask how deep he thinks he may have to go. In addition to drilling the well itself, you also need to figure in at least $5.000 to have the pump and pump accessories hooked up, to make a pump house, and to bring the water to your house. All these expenses are easy to forget when the well driller gives you a price per foot.

If sewer is available, you need to make sure the lot isn’t lower than the road where the sewer pipes are buried. If it is, you might have to have your sewer pumped uphill, and a sewer pump system can easily add thousands of dollars to your bill. So unless the land is so gorgeous that you simply must have it, you might be better off looking for a different piece of land.

If sewer is not available, you’ll have to put in your own sewer system. Sewer systems need drainage, so look at your soil to get an idea of what kind of drainage you are dealing with. Clay is horrible, sand is better. If the drainage is terrible, the inspector might not approve a septic system at all, so you might want to make a call to the inspector, too, before you make your decisiong to buy. If the drainage is workable, you might have to bring in extra drain rock, which could also be expensive. If the drainage is good, your septic system might not end up costing you too much. Talk to a septic installer and he can give you an idea what numbers you can expect for the piece of land you are looking at.

Once you get all your numbers, add them up before you even buy the land. If no utilities are available, putting utilities in can easily cost you at least $30,000 in addition to the cost of the land. This is money going out before you even start your foundation! So get your calculator out and add it all up so you won’t get any upleasant surprises later!

Building a monolithic dome takes a lot of planning, calculation and budgeting. Once you get your numbers in order, and you are still good to go, it is time to plan out the layout of the dome on the land.
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Tags: Buying Land, Monolithic Dome, Tips for Buying Land

The next thing you have to consider, when looking for the perfect piece of land to put your monolithic dome on, is what happens when it rains. If flood rain was pouring down, where would the water go, where would it collect on the land, how deep would it be, and would this be a problem for your house or garage? I have seen people building houses in the middle of gulleys! I have seen people putting their front door at the bottom of a hill where rain water pours in through the front door and across their living room floor! Now what in the world were they thinking???

The truth is, they probably weren’t thinking about these kinds of issues at all. They just flattened the dirt a bit and plopped the house down where they wanted it, without any thought behind it. So, beware! There are so many things to think about when buying a piece of land. Here are just a few:

Number one is AFFORDABILITY
Number two is LOCATION
Number three is THE LOOK OF THE LAND, view etc.
Number four is WATER ISSUES, which is what this post is about.

Besides looking at where the natural water ways are, there could be “unnatural” water ways, too. Look around to see if someone has diverted a culvert onto the land you are interested in. Unbelievable as it may seem, I have actually seen this happen. Sometimes, people will put up a piece of land for sale because the water that flows through the land makes it virtually unbuildable, unless you are planning to build your house on sticks. And, there is no way they are going to tell you, a potential buyer, what you are getting into. So, you must be aware, or you can get yourself in more trouble than you can imagine!

The third water issue has to do with drainage. If the plot is flat and the ground is clay, you’ll have drainage issues and water can collect and turn your whole yard into mud. Don’t buy a piece of land with drainage issues, even though it may be cheap. (That is probably WHY it is cheap!)

And, while we’re talking about water, you might also want to check with a real estate or insurance agent if the land is in the flood plain, just to be on the safe side.

Once you have assured yourself that the lot is both affordable and buildable, and that your house will stay dry, no matter how much it rains, put a ring around the lot number to mark that it is a definite maybe, but don’t make a final decision yet.
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Tags: Buying Land, Monolithic Dome, Tips for Buying Land

After dreaming about building a monolithic dome for a while, and playing with the layout and design on paper, it is time to look for a good piece of land. The first thing to decide is what price range you want to look in. Be realistic! I know too many people who fall in love with a gorgeous piece of land, and they want it so much that nothing can stop them from buying it, even though they can’t really afford it. This is mistake number one!

Solution: Decide how much you can afford and stick with it, no matter what. If you don’t, you might end up with a killer piece of land that you can live on – in your tent! Or, in an unfinished house…

Running out of money in the middle of a project is a total bummer and a huge source of stress. Or, if you think you can just refinance if you run out of money, think again! Two things can happen if you consider refinancing midways – either the bank turns you down, which means you’ll have to live in an unfinished house, or they accept your application and you end up with higher monthly payments than what you were prepared to pay.

The whole point of owning your own house is to have a safe place to be that gives you peace of body and mind. So, just eliminate future stress by realistic budgeting. Decide how much you can afford to spend on the land, and still afford to finish your future house, and then stick to it! Don’t even look at land you can’t afford, because if you do, you’ll never be happy. Just look in your price range until you find something you like, and then, buy it and be happy with what you got. You can always make it more gorgeous over time by adding creating landscaping, walls and hedges.
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Tags: Buying Land, Monolithic Dome, Tips for Buying Land