Finding the right site can be one of the most exciting parts of building your own home. It can also be one of the easiest places to make an expensive mistake.
A piece of land might look perfect when you drive past it. It might have a beautiful view, plenty of space and a great location. But before you start imagining where the kitchen island will go, you need to establish a much more important question:
Can you actually build the home you want there?
The best building sites aren’t necessarily the biggest or the most picturesque. They are the sites where the location, orientation, planning potential, ground conditions and your ambitions for the house all work together.
Here are some of the things we would look at before committing to a site in Cork.
Start with the location
This sounds obvious, but it is worth thinking beyond the postcode.
How long will it take to get to work? What are the local schools like? How close are shops and services? Is the road busy? What is the public transport situation? How will the location work for you in ten or twenty years?
A forever home needs to work for the life you actually live.
A beautiful site that adds an hour to the school run every day may not be such a beautiful proposition after all.
Look at the site from every angle
When assessing land, most people naturally look at what is in front of them.
We tend to think about what is around, above and behind it too.
What are the neighbouring properties like? Where are the roads? What can be seen from the site? What can neighbouring properties see? Where does the sun move throughout the day?
A site with a south-facing rear garden may have very different possibilities from one facing north. A sloping site may be challenging in some respects but offer spectacular views in others.
This is why orientation should be considered before the house is designed, rather than as an afterthought.
Orientation can transform a house
The position of a house on its site can have a huge impact on how it feels.
Morning light might be perfect for a kitchen or breakfast space. A south or south-west aspect can create opportunities for bright living areas and outdoor spaces. A particular view might be worth designing the house around.
The best designs don’t simply sit on a site. They respond to it.
At KMC Homes, the site forms an important part of the design process. Our house designs show how different homes can be shaped around views, light, privacy, topography and the surrounding landscape.
Check the planning potential
This is probably the most important question to answer before buying.
Just because a piece of land is advertised as a “site” doesn’t mean it will automatically receive planning permission for the house you have in mind.
Planning considerations can include:
- The location of the site
- Existing development in the area
- Access
- Sightlines
- Visual impact
- Separation from neighbouring properties
- The proposed scale and design
- Local planning policies
- In rural areas, potential local needs requirements
If there is any uncertainty, getting professional advice before committing to the purchase can save a lot of pain later.
KMC has previously discussed the value of pre-planning advice in reducing planning risk, particularly where there are questions about a site’s suitability.
Don’t forget access
A site might look wonderful from the road but still present significant practical challenges.
How will you get onto the site? Is there sufficient visibility? Will construction vehicles be able to access the property? Is the access shared? Are there rights-of-way or other legal considerations?
Then think about the finished home.
Will there be enough space for parking? Can deliveries reach the house? Is the driveway going to work in winter? Can visitors turn around without reversing onto a busy road?
These aren’t glamorous questions, but they are the questions that make a house work.
Find out where the services are
You also need to understand how the site will be serviced.
Depending on the location, you may need to consider:
- Electricity
- Water
- Wastewater
- Broadband
- Drainage
- Gas, where available
If a site needs significant infrastructure work, that can affect both your budget and your programme.
This is one reason why the cheapest site isn’t necessarily the cheapest project.
Investigate the ground
Two sites that look almost identical from the road can have very different construction requirements.
Ground conditions can influence the foundations required and therefore the cost of construction.
Rock, clay, uneven ground, groundwater and other conditions can all introduce additional complexity.
This is why site assessment is so important. You want to understand the ground beneath your proposed home before finalising your expectations around cost.
Think about neighbouring properties
Privacy is an increasingly important part of house design.
Where are the neighbouring windows? Could your proposed living room look directly into another house? Will your bedroom overlook a garden? Are there existing mature trees or boundaries that provide screening?
Sometimes the solution is simply to position the house differently. In other cases, the design of windows, roof levels, landscaping or external spaces can make a major difference.
Again, this is where good design begins with understanding the site.
What about the view?
A great view can add enormous value to a home, but it shouldn’t be treated as something you simply point a window towards.
Think about how you experience the view.
Could the living room frame it? Would a first-floor space make better use of it? Is there a particular time of day when it looks best? Can you create a terrace or outdoor room that takes advantage of it?
KMC has designed homes specifically around harbour, river and rural views, including projects where the topography and orientation became fundamental to the architecture.
The result can be much more interesting than simply putting a large window into the wall facing the view.
Think about the house before buying the site
This is perhaps the biggest lesson.
Don’t buy a site and then ask an architect to fit your dream house onto it.
Instead, ask whether the site can accommodate the type of home you want.
If you are hoping for a large four-bedroom family home with generous living areas, a home office, good outdoor space and plenty of natural light, does the site support that?
If you want a single-storey home, does the topography make that sensible?
If you want privacy, can the house be positioned appropriately?
The site and the home should be considered together.
What should you spend on a site?
There isn’t a simple percentage that works for every project.
The important thing is to consider the total project cost, rather than thinking about the site in isolation.
For example, a cheaper site that requires extensive groundworks, difficult access or significant infrastructure might ultimately cost more than a more expensive site that is straightforward to develop.
Your construction budget should therefore be established as early as possible.
Our guide to the cost of building a house in Cork is a useful starting point for understanding the wider picture.
Get professional advice before you commit
You don’t need to have everything figured out before talking to a professional.
In fact, it is often better not to.
An early conversation with an experienced design and build team can help you understand whether your ambitions, site and budget are broadly aligned before you invest heavily in design work.
At KMC Homes, our process starts by understanding the site, your aspirations and your budget. The architectural design then develops around those three things.
It is a much safer way to approach a new build than simply buying land and hoping everything will work out.
The best site is the one that works for your life
There is no such thing as a perfect site.
There is only a site that gives you the opportunity to create the right home.
A difficult slope might create an exceptional view. A smaller suburban site might offer a fantastic location. A rural site might provide privacy but require much more thought around planning.
The trick is to understand both the opportunities and the constraints before you make a commitment.
Get that part right and you’re already a long way towards creating the home you’ve been dreaming about.
