The place for the construction of a cottage or other private household should ensure the comfort of subsequent living. First of all, this concerns the availability of infrastructure, the condition of the surrounding area, relations with neighbors, and the environmental situation.

An equally important factor when choosing a site for building a private house is the condition and structure of the soil. The structural reliability of the building and the possibility of cultivating a personal plot depend on this. Sandy, clayey and other soils have their own characteristics: on each of them it is possible to build comfortable cottages and dachas with well-groomed local areas - provided that the relevant nuances are taken into account at the design stage.

What is important to consider when choosing a site?

Much depends on the requirements for the future building and the garden area. For example, when constructing a summer house and a residential cottage, completely different criteria may be taken into account. But in any case, the following factors should be taken into account:

• distance from the nearest populated area;
• configuration and dimensions of the site intended for development;
• soil condition, proximity to groundwater;
• location, availability of communications and access roads, and in their absence, the possibility of laying and supplying them.

The specifics of documentation should be taken into account, both in general and in relation to a specific situation.

Distance from city

Proximity to a populated area can be considered both an advantage and a disadvantage. The main advantages are the ability to reduce travel time (this is especially true for summer residents living in a given city), the accessibility of shops, medical facilities, and other infrastructure.

However, many people prefer to choose a site to build a house away from big cities, citing a more favorable environmental situation, proximity to nature and the desire for maximum privacy. This applies mainly to creative individuals and older people. In addition, many summer residents prefer to relax in silence and alone with nature.

But this option is not suitable for young families, since the presence of children requires nearby kindergartens, additional education institutions, schools, clinics, and other social infrastructure facilities.

Dimensions and shape of the site

The shape of a plot of land in most cases is a regular figure, usually a rectangle or square. However, land plots of a more complex configuration are often found: triangular, rounded, oval, trapezoidal, etc. They are usually located near the borders of cottage villages or dacha cooperatives, since in such places it is difficult to maintain the exact geometry.

Square plots are considered the best option, since they lend themselves best to marking and planning. The disadvantage of a rectangular plot may be the small distance to neighbors - but this depends on the overall dimensions. If it is too elongated, problems will arise not only with the comfortable placement of the house, but also with the location of ancillary buildings (garage, gazebo, barn, bathhouse, etc.).

The advantage of non-standard plots may be that they are usually located on the outskirts of a cooperative or village, and their size may be larger than other plots. In addition, such a location allows, for example, to make your own access to the river, to arrange a resting place in the forest behind a fence, etc. The irregular shape of the site is a good option to create a unique, unusual design. The main disadvantage is that competent marking and planning of such a land plot can only be done with the involvement of specialists.

Soil and groundwater of the land plot

It is not advisable to buy a plot with a high groundwater level. This is fraught with the emergence of a number of additional difficulties, including:

• the impossibility of arranging the ground floor or basement due to the high probability of flooding (especially in rainy weather and during flood periods);
• problems with pouring the foundation: it is possible that the prepared ditches and trenches will be filled with water - this will require the creation of a drainage system;
• reduced bearing capacity of the soil, which may impose restrictions on the number of storeys and structure of the building;
• increased humidity in the premises, which will lead to the appearance of dampness, fungus, mold, as well as the formation of a favorable environment for the proliferation of different types of bacteria.

In addition, the construction of a foundation will be much more expensive, since it will have to be strengthened with additional structures, as well as reliable waterproofing. But even after taking these measures, there is a high probability of flooding, the appearance of dampness and mold, etc. Despite the measures taken, groundwater will not go away and will continue to have a destructive effect on the foundation and other structural elements.

You can check the groundwater level yourself. The first option is to see how much water is accumulating in nearby wells. You can do it differently: to do this, you need to dig shallow (70-100 cm) holes in several places on the site using a shovel, garden auger or other suitable tool. If within one or two hours moisture begins to accumulate in them, it means that groundwater is at a high level and it is not advisable to start construction in this place. If, after a long time, the bottom remains dry, most likely, a building of any number of floors and with a basement level can be erected here.

However, the most accurate result can be obtained by contacting geologists. They will provide professional advice on how to choose the right plot of land. This will require additional costs, but research will be carried out using scientific methods using appropriate equipment and issuing an official conclusion.

Location of the construction site

The site should not be too close to a river, lake or other body of water - otherwise problems similar to construction on groundwater may arise (dampness and mold in the premises, risk of basement flooding, etc.). In addition, the risk of flooding increases during the onset of a flood period.

If the building site is located on a hill, the project must provide additional insulation, since the house will be constantly exposed to winds. In this case, it is recommended to select the material and thermal insulation technology with the help of specialists in the appropriate field.

You should not build your house on lands that are located in areas of drained swamps, in the area of ​​former quarries, etc. Firstly, in many such cases, additional permits from geological organizations are required, and secondly, such soils may turn out to be unstable.

A minimum number of neighbors is considered a good option. In most cases, the site is surrounded by several neighboring houses, which is not always acceptable (especially for those who value privacy, solitude and silence). However, it is possible to find plots of land bordering only one or two neighbors.

Land that has low density or is clayey is poorly suited for construction. Such soils are unstable; the foundation installed on them may sag or swell. In such places, it is necessary to carry out a complex of preparatory earthworks, for example, creating a sand cushion for the foundation, etc.

Roads and communications

Before construction, you need to immediately clarify the availability of high-quality access roads. This is relevant not only for subsequent residence, but also for the delivery of building materials carried out using dump trucks, as well as for the use of other special equipment at the site.

As for communications, if they are absent, the possibility of subsequent installation should be assessed. This is especially true if you plan to live permanently. For summer residents, the issue of communications is not so critical, but the presence of at least electricity and seasonal water supply is mandatory.

It is highly undesirable to purchase plots located in areas with difficult terrain. Typical examples are steep slopes on one or more sides, a hole in the ground in the middle, etc. Firstly, this will increase the cost of construction, since it will require expensive landscaping and planning work, and secondly, it is unknown how such soil will behave in the future , and thirdly, unforeseen difficulties may arise when organizing access roads and laying communications.

Design, rules and regulations of the site

In order to correctly formalize the construction of a house on a summer cottage, it is necessary to study the relevant sections of the Land Code of the Russian Federation, the Federal Law on State Registration, as well as a number of other regulatory documents. In this case, a lot depends on how long ago and on what grounds the plot was received (purchase, inheritance, receipt for use on the basis of Soviet laws, etc.), what gardening partnership they are in, etc. Many situations can be interpreted ambiguously, so for competent design often requires the help of specialists.

The minimum size of a land plot provided for the construction of a country house or dacha depends on the specific region and is determined in most cases taking into account the following factors:

• number of allocated plots;
• demand for land in a given district;
• general level of regional development.

To register a plot of land home construction You must submit an application and a package of documents to the registration authority, the list of which is determined in each specific situation. Typically, these include a cadastral plan, a receipt for payment of state duty, title documents, and a purchase and sale agreement.

Most often, plots intended for individual housing construction (IHC) and dacha lands located in horticultural non-profit partnerships (SNT) and dacha non-profit partnerships (DNP) are put up for sale. You can find out which category a particular plot belongs to from the certificate of ownership kept by the seller. What are the main differences between these types? Land for individual housing construction allows the owner to have other household buildings, as well as to set up a garden or vegetable garden. Before starting construction, the future owner must obtain permission. You can register your relatives in the built house. On country and garden lands, you can also build, register it and receive a certificate of ownership, but it is possible that registering in it will be problematic. One of the advantages of such plots is the absence of the need to obtain a building permit.

Price

An important criterion when choosing a site is its cost. As a rule, the closer the land plot is located to the border of St. Petersburg, the more expensive it will cost the buyer, the further it is, the cheaper it is, of course. However, building a large house at a considerable distance only makes sense if you do not need to travel to the city every day. Otherwise, you will spend too much time traveling both ways. Even with a limited amount of finance, it is wiser to make a choice in favor of the so-called “golden mean”. Let us add that the cost of a land plot is influenced not only by the distance from the ring road, but also by status. Plots for individual housing construction are a priori more expensive than plots in gardening partnerships. You can find land prices in the Leningrad region (as of the second quarter of 2016) in the review on the Real Estate Bulletin portal

Square

When choosing the size of a plot of land, be guided by the expected scale of the future home and your plans for landscaping the area. For example, 10 acres is more than enough to place a cottage with an area of ​​150 square meters, install a garage, a bathhouse, equip a playground or sports ground, and also plant a small vegetable garden. If you want to live near the city, but you can’t afford a plot of 10 acres in such areas, then due to the denser arrangement of buildings, you can get by with a smaller area. However, it is better to purchase a plot with a small reserve, because it is possible that in a couple of years your children will ask to build a swimming pool in front of the house, and you yourself will begin to dream of a minigolf course. Now a few words about the shape of the land plot. It may be different, but still it is much easier to place buildings on a rectangular or square plot than, say, on an L-shaped one.

Soil and landscape

Before concluding a deal, be sure to study the soil characteristics of the area you like. If you overlook this important nuance, you risk facing a situation where the costs of building a foundation will be comparable to the costs of building a house. The best soil option is sandstone with a low groundwater level, the least suitable is peat. Of course, not everyone can analyze the properties of the soil on their own, so it would be a good idea to order a geological examination.

When choosing a site, we advise you to pay attention not only to the soil, but also to the landscape of the area. There cannot be an ideal option here. Each has its own advantages. For example, a site near a forest will allow you to breathe clean air, and the cottage itself will be protected from the wind. A plot of land on the shore of a reservoir will provide the opportunity to admire the beautiful landscape, go boating, and fish, but such plots, firstly, are the most expensive, and, secondly, with a high groundwater level, a good drainage system may be needed.

Roads

Not all land plots are located near major transport arteries. It is possible that you will have to get from the highway to your house along a road, the quality of which should not cause difficulties when driving and cause harm to the car. It is also worth taking into account the presence of a railway crossing on the route, because in the daily traffic jam in front of a closed barrier you can lose a huge amount of time.

Ecology

The desire to live in clean air is one of the main reasons why people move out of town. If an environmentally friendly location is important to you, then before purchasing land, find out if there are any industrial enterprises, waste incinerators, or landfills nearby. It is also not advisable for a high-voltage power line to pass near the site. Let us note that there are significantly more environmentally friendly areas in the Leningrad region than polluted ones, and living outside the city is much healthier than in a noisy and polluted metropolis.

Social infrastructure

To ensure that country life does not cause inconvenience, think in advance about exactly what social infrastructure facilities you will need. If you have children, then there should be a kindergarten, school and clinic near your home. For adult family members, shops, a post office, a bank (or ATM), and a health care facility should be of great importance. If they are not there, then it makes sense to ask local residents about the prospect of opening such institutions in the foreseeable future. Please note that plots in areas with developed infrastructure are more expensive than in remote areas, but we would not advise skimping on convenience.

Communications

Electricity must be supplied to the acquired land plot. Without it, it will be impossible to live in a house, and not everyone can afford to equip their own substation. Ask the seller a question about the current power. For a house with an area of ​​150 square meters it should be at least 10 kW. Otherwise, the home will not be energy efficient, and you will lose the opportunity to use many household electrical appliances.

It’s good if the site you choose is gasified, because gas is a cheap source of heating for homes. If there is no gas, the cottage can be heated using a boiler running on diesel fuel or pellets. Electricity can also solve the heating problem. And don't be afraid of huge bills. The costs of electrical heating of a house with an area of ​​150 square meters will be comparable to the costs of centralized heating of a city apartment with an area of ​​100 square meters.

Water is the source of life! Without it, you will not be able to maintain hygiene, prepare food, or care for the plantings on your site. The ideal water supply option is a centralized water supply. However, its absence is not yet a reason to refuse to purchase. Quite often, a well or borehole is used as an alternative.

The lack of drainage can be solved by purchasing and installing a septic tank, which collects sewage and processes it into process water. There are many types of such equipment on the market, differing in technical characteristics and price.

Now that you have chosen a suitable plot of land and concluded a purchase and sale transaction, you can safely contact a construction company, where they will offer you standard ones or based on your preferences and financial capabilities.

You can buy a plot of land to build your own home only after a thorough analysis of the market and studying all the nuances. If you rush into a decision, there is a high risk of buying an illiquid or unsuitable property for construction.

To make the purchase profitable, you should take into account the main factors: distance from the Moscow Ring Road, availability of communications, class of the village, surrounding infrastructure. These and other criteria that will help you choose the ideal site are presented below.

Land type

Today in Russia all plots for individual construction are divided into two categories - SNT and individual housing construction. Garden partnerships are unfairly considered worse than land for individual housing construction. In fact, both have advantages and disadvantages.

SNT: Pros

Gardening partnerships superior to individual housing construction settlements in terms of organization and availability of communications, but only in comparison with villages or inexpensive cottage communities.

A simple example: SNT must have electricity, there are roads on its territory, and the general area is surrounded by a fence. Often, gardening partnerships also have a 24-hour security guard. But plots in the village, as well as separately built cottages and houses in cheap cottage villages, cannot boast of this.

If you calculate how much it costs to install communications and roads, and improve the territory, then, in this regard, purchasing a dacha in SNT is much more profitable than a house in a village or a cottage in a field. Although, of course, in terms of infrastructure, garden partnerships are significantly inferior to business and elite class individual housing construction settlements. There are no social institutions, shops are located far away, and the security guards are poorly qualified.

Most gardening associations originated at a time when a car was still considered a luxury, so they mainly located close to train and bus stations. You can easily get to them on your own. However, at the same time, quite a lot of time is spent on the road.

The undoubted advantage of land in SNT is its low price. On average, they are 30-50% cheaper than individual housing construction plots.

There is still a misconception that it is impossible to register on the territory of a dacha association. In fact, since 2008, it is possible to register official residence on such a site if there is an officially registered residential building on it.

SNT: Cons

1. The need to join a dacha partnership and pay fees. The SNT management regularly holds meetings that you need to attend, and also periodically collects funds for updating roads, maintaining communications, etc. Moreover, often management decisions may seem unjustified to the participants of the gardening partnership. But you still have to pay;
2. Low level of culture of neighbors. This disadvantage arises from the low cost of the plots. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that some summer residents and residents of SNT received land for free. Because of this, the contingent of people living in the garden association may be far from your social status;
3. Distance from popular natural places. SNT was mostly built on the site of cleared forests, near fields. It is rare to find a site close to a forest or lake. At best, you will have to walk several kilometers to get there.

individual housing construction

Land plots for individual residential construction are generally considered more profitable for building a home for permanent residence, compared to lands in SNT. As we have already seen, this is not always the case. Much depends on what exactly the individual housing construction site is.

There are three options - a house in a low-class cottage community, a business class, and a house in the village.

Pros and cons of each subtype of individual housing construction:

Selection Factor	Cheap cottage community	Elite village or business class association	Village
Communications	There is no sewage system (most often a septic tank), but there is running water and electricity. The gas pipeline is not always	There is sewerage, water supply, gas pipeline, electricity, internet	Electricity is connected, sometimes there is a gas pipeline, rarely water supply
Possibility to get there without a car	Rarely	Almost always	It’s possible, but you’ll have to walk from the train on your own.
Infrastructure	Security, occasionally shops	Security, shops, kindergarten, school, clinic in the village	The shops
Price	Average, about 100 thousand per hundred square meters	High: several hundred thousand per hundred square meters	Cheapest of all
Proximity of the city	Distance from MKAD from 30 km	5-15 km from MKAD	More than 50 km from MKAD

Let's consider all these factors and their impact on the quality of the site for building a house in more detail.

Location

Location is one of the key factors. It determines the cost of the site, as well as how long and convenient it is to get to it from the city. Of course, in order to save money, you can consider land plots 100 km or further from Moscow, but only if you do not plan to live in such a house permanently.

Distance from MKAD

At the moment, in the Moscow region, the parameter of distance from the Moscow Ring Road (or other city borders) when selecting a plot is the determining factor for buyers. The distance from the “ring” is an indicator of how quickly the owner can get to his home or dacha.

If you are selecting land for building a house for permanent residence, it is recommended to look at options no further than 60 km from the Moscow Ring Road. This distance, provided there are normal roads, can be covered, on average, in 1-1.5 hours. In traffic jams, the time spent will increase to 3 hours, but will still be tolerable. But if the site is located more than 60 km from the Moscow Ring Road, in case of traffic jams, it will take up to 5-6 hours to get to Moscow.

According to experts, you can comfortably live in the Moscow region permanently and work in Moscow - if the road from the village to the city takes no more than 30-40 minutes. This is up to 20-30 km from the Moscow Ring Road. However, plots with such remoteness cost hundreds of thousands per hundred square meters and not everyone can afford it. If the purchase is planned for the construction of a summer house, for periodic holidays, then both 60 and 80 km are perfect.

Convenience and availability of access roads

There must be access roads to the site. And be in good condition all year round. Otherwise, it is fraught with high costs.

The owner will have to initiate the construction of roads, coordinate with the administration, and negotiate with neighbors. It may happen that other residents of the locality simply refuse assistance. Then independently constructing even a simple road with crushed stone will result in huge expenses for the owner.

To avoid these problems, you should choose areas that have access roads all the way to the gate. It doesn’t matter whether the roads are dirt or asphalt, or maybe concrete. All types of coverings can serve well if the area does not flood in the spring.

To check this, it is recommended to come to the site in the spring, when the melt waters recede. If the dirt roads turn out to be flooded and bind the wheels, such a plot is not worth buying. The best option is if the entrance to the property is paved and regularly repaired at the expense of the municipality.

Availability of public transport

There must be public transport stops in the village (or near it). Even if you have several cars in your family, sooner or later a situation may arise when you simply won’t be able to use them. For example, if the car breaks down, or you cannot drive for health reasons or alcohol intoxication.

In order not to find yourself locked in a country house or in your own cottage in these situations, you should foresee possible alternatives and proposed routes to the city by public transport in advance.

It is best if there is a train passing near the site. This is the fastest and most economical way to travel in the Moscow region. Bus stops are also suitable, although it is important to consider where they are located. Sometimes you still have to walk several kilometers from the stop to the site.

Communications

The most common mistake of inexperienced buyers of country real estate. In pursuit of the lowest price, they choose areas without communications, believing that they can fail them themselves. The very first question you should ask the seller is why didn’t he do it himself?

In fact, connecting a site to communications in the Moscow region is a huge expense that can “eat up” your entire construction budget. Of course, plots without communications are much cheaper. However, only the installation of water supply, gas pipelines, etc. will cost hundreds of thousands of rubles. Think and weigh all the pros and cons; perhaps such savings will backfire on you.

Water pipes

Without the presence of water, the site becomes practically unusable. The following options are lost:

• proper personal hygiene;
• obtaining cheap drinking water;
• watering plants;
• car wash.

For comfortable living, at least seasonal water supply lines must be connected to the site. For summer cottages this will be enough. If a plot of land is purchased for permanent residence, including in winter, it is important to find land that will be provided with water all year round.

If there is no running water, you can dig a well. However, this is expensive and time-consuming, and does not always give the desired result. You cannot use water from a well as actively as tap water, because it takes time to accumulate. This is a good option for short-term winter get-togethers, but not for permanent living.

If you have a running water supply, it is important to check the water quality. It should not be clayey or ferruginous. Water with a high iron content is not even suitable for watering plants or washing a car. It has to be filtered using expensive filters.

You can find out the quality of water by conducting an examination or finding out information from your neighbors.

Gas pipeline

Gas connection in the Moscow region officially costs from 60 thousand rubles. In fact, taking into account all the work and equipment, be prepared for the figure to increase several times.

At the same time, gas is very important if the owner plans to live in his house all year round. Therefore, it is better to purchase land with gas pipes already installed.

Some buyers of plots mistakenly believe that they can save on gas supply by using gas cylinders (autonomous gas heating). In fact, the cost of a cubic meter of gas in such cylinders is 8 times higher than the price of mains gas.

Electricity

Officially, the cost of connecting electricity is only 600 rubles. However, government agencies rarely install electrical networks for owners of remote areas. If there is no light, you will either have to install the wires yourself, paying for the cost of materials, poles, and the work of builders, or wait for help from the state (it is not known how many years).

Independent supply of light, depending on the distance of the nearest substation or fork, will cost from several tens to hundreds of thousands of rubles. Therefore, it is better to purchase a plot with already connected light.

It is also important to pay attention to the counters. They must be updated, preferably not analog, but digital (replacement began in the second half of the 2010s) and correctly configured, otherwise you will have to pay for their replacement.

Sewerage

You can easily arrange sewerage on your site yourself - in this regard, you can save money by selecting sites. The cost of an autonomous sewerage system (septic tank with installation) is about 35-40 thousand rubles. Here, too, you can save money by connecting a septic tank to two areas at once.

Site characteristics

You need to carefully study the cadastral data about the site, find out what its relief is, its size, and whether there are any disputes with neighbors about trespassing.

The above factors are just the tip of the iceberg. Depending on the owner’s plans for the site, it will also be necessary to take into account the suitability of the land for gardening, whether it is possible to dig a well and other characteristics.

Plot size

According to experts, the footage of the plot should be in proportion to 10:1 in relation to the house. That is, if the owner is going to build a one-story house with an area of ​​150 square meters. m., it is advisable to buy an area of ​​15 acres. This will allow you to comply with construction rules (there must be a certain distance between all buildings on the site, between buildings and the fence), as well as place a garden, vegetable garden, and recreation area on the site.

However, if the budget is limited, then you can get by with the standard six hundred square meters, and simply divide the footage of the house into several floors.

Land quality

The soil should not be too clayey or wet. This can lead, over time, to subsidence or even collapse of the house. There are two ways to check the quality of the soil: by inviting surveyors or asking neighbors. It is best to require a professional geodetic survey from the seller at his expense.

The site should also be checked for the depth of groundwater. If they are close, you can forget about building a large house, at most - a “frame” on stilts.

Landscape

A beautiful landscape with an abundance of hills, slopes and lawns is the dream of many gardeners, however, when it comes to residential construction, a multi-level plot brings more problems than pleasure.

Even a slight slope in one direction, the presence of one hole or subsidence zone, makes the site unsuitable for building a house. To fix this, you have to level the landscape, fill some soil, and remove it somewhere. It costs a lot.

It is better to purchase areas with flat terrain in order to build a foundation without any problems. And small hillocks and other landscape objects can be created independently after building the house. To do this, you only need bags of ordinary soil and a construction cart, while the arsenal of tools for leveling a site for a house is much more complex and expensive, including expensive rental of special equipment.

Form

Irregularly shaped areas are very difficult to fence and, most importantly, to measure correctly and enter into the cadastral register. During the measurements, disputes with neighbors may arise, which may even end in court.

To avoid unnecessary problems, it is better to purchase possessions of the correct shape - rectangular or square.

Infrastructure Features

The infrastructure of the village also greatly influences the quality of living in a country house. However, many buyers quite often forget to analyze this factor.

Of course, if the plot is purchased for the construction of a summer house and will be used for weekend trips, you can really forget about the development of the territory. You can buy everything in the city, load it into your car and bring it. In all other cases, it is important to carefully study the infrastructure of the village.

Security and fencing of the territory

It is extremely important that the village has stable 24-hour security. Without it, there is a high risk that your home may be robbed. In terms of protection, cottage communities benefit, followed by plots in SNT (in descending order).

A competent security system should consist of the following:

• guarded entrances, checkpoints;
• fenced common area;
• the presence of barriers with a lock or card system at the entrance;
• CCTV;
• patrolling the streets of the village.

The listed items are available in business class cottage villages and are more expensive. If the buyer's goal is to live in his home permanently, in this regard, it is better to stop at them. After all, really valuable things can be stored in the house: expensive equipment, cars, jewelry, savings, etc.

If the house is intended for summer holidays, a lower level of security will be suitable. It is not necessary that the area be fenced with a solid fence (a mesh will suffice), but it is necessary that there are barriers at the entrances. In SNT there is just such a level of security. The barrier or gate is locked, which can only be opened by the owners of the plots.

The shops

The system of retail outlets is best developed in cottage villages. Some of them have supermarkets, hardware stores, pharmacies, and pet stores. It is even better if the land ownership is located on the territory of an urban village. In this case, the list of retail outlets will differ little from the freedom of choice that is provided in a large city.

In SNT and villages, to get even to a simple grocery store, you will have to cover a considerable distance - from 2 to 10 km. Moreover, you often have to walk along the roadway due to the lack of sidewalks.

Social institutions

Regardless of what purpose you are planning to purchase land for, it is important that there is at least a first aid station nearby. Ideally, a medical center or clinic. It is important that an ambulance can arrive from them in a maximum of 30-40 minutes. In this regard, the most advantageous areas are those located within a radius of 30 km from Moscow and those located near its large suburbs.

Kindergartens and schools will be required if you have children and are going to live in your own home all year round. The following proposals should be considered as a priority:

• the school and kindergarten are located directly on the territory of the cottage village;
• you can get to the educational institution by a special school bus that runs from the village;
• It is possible to take your child to school in a neighboring village by public transport, and the travel time should not be more than 20-30 minutes.

It is worth noting here that 30 km by car and 30 km by train are not the same thing. By car you can drive this way and spend half an hour or be stuck in traffic the whole time. You can always cover the same distance by train in just half an hour.

If there are no public transport stops nearby, as well as schools, this will sooner or later turn into a problem for families. Especially if both parents work and cannot take the child back and forth every day.

Conclusion

Proper selection of land will help you avoid problems after the purchase and enjoy all the benefits of country living.

Finding a suitable option is now easy, thanks to the development of the Internet. Another important thing is to carefully study the seller’s motives, the condition of the documents and the plot, assess the prospects for living in this place and the liquidity of the offer.

If you have difficulty choosing or have doubts about the chosen option, we will be happy to help you. To consult a specialist, just leave a request on our website.

Right? But not quite! In order to take the first step towards future housing, you need to select a plot of land for development.

At first glance, this task is not difficult, but after reading this material, you will understand that choosing a site is an issue no less important than the construction of the house itself, and it must be treated with special responsibility. We hope that after reading this material, you will clarify many points for yourself, and, in the end, make the right choice.

When choosing a site, we, of course, compare its cost with our capabilities. And plots in prestigious areas of big cities and administrative centers cost a lot!

If the site is located in a good area, its area is large enough, and the cost is, on the contrary, low, check if there are any problems with the site.

It is worth paying attention to the legal side of the transaction. A reduced price for a plot may be caused by legal problems, which you will have to solve after the purchase.

Important criteria for choosing a site for construction will be

• possibility of telephone installation and electrification of the site
• ecological situation
• infrastructure: proximity to hospital, pharmacy, post office, school
• distance of the site from neighboring houses
• possibility of expansion in height and width
• municipal services

Which plot size is better - large or small?

Please note that the larger your plot of land, the more work will be done on it. And if you pick up something small, there will be no chance to expand your own estate. Both large and small areas have their advantages and disadvantages.

Small area

• It will be easy to improve and landscaping
• Much less money will be spent on fencing

A visible disadvantage may be cramped space, lack of space for outbuildings and storage of timber or coal. However, after working with a landscape designer, you can create all kinds of small architectural forms in a small area, organize and zone the space so that it becomes as cozy and homely as possible.

Large plot of land

• It opens up unlimited possibilities for arrangement for the owner: a cottage, a pond, a tennis court, a swimming pool, and even a house for children can fit here.

Having a large garden, you can say goodbye to free weekends forever; the solution is to hire a gardener who will look after all this beauty. Remember that the lawn needs weekly mowing, and garden plants need to be watered, weeded, etc.

However, any land is a good investment, so if you have a large plot, in bad times you can sell it even in small parts.

Information is gold!

When purchasing a plot of land, pay attention to every little detail.

The more information you know about the property, the faster you will make a purchasing decision.

For information about the site you can:

• contact local authorities and familiarize yourself with cadastral data
• look at your neighbors - they will be able to give you more objective information,
• find out about the intentions of the authorities regarding a given territory, or about the criminal situation.

Any information will not be superfluous.

Water problems?

Access to water may be limited in some areas.

In order to make an estimate in advance for connecting the site to water or electricity supply, find out how far the communication sources are from the site and approximately how much their connection will cost.

Many buyers of plots that do not have direct access to water supply decide to drill a well themselves. This is not always easy and only pays off in very rare cases.

Taking into account drilling costs, your own well can cost $8,000 or more. The issue is often complicated by the fact that not all soils are suitable for drilling (there are many areas with huge underground granite boulders that are impossible to drill).

If it is still possible to organize a well on the site, ask your neighbors to share information about the quality and purity of the water, analyze the water from various wells and select the optimal depth for the well.

As a rule, clean and tasty water is already found at a depth of 20 meters. SES readings on the level of bacteriological and chemical contamination will also not be superfluous.

Ground question

The type of foundation of the future house directly depends on the type of soil on the site.

A soil survey should be carried out before purchasing a plot, especially if the plot is suspicious!

In any case, if the site, or rather its soil, does not satisfy the specialists, the soil flooring can be easily replaced (although it is not cheap), but stories about ideal sites with ideal conditions for building a cottage should not be trusted either.

Experienced people will be able to offer any solutions for the future foundation, regardless of the type of soil on the site.

Forest or field, hill or lowland?

When choosing a plot of land for construction, due attention should be paid to the type of terrain on which it will be located.

• A plot in the forest or near the forest will give you true enjoyment of fresh air (especially coniferous air)

Every morning you will wake up to the singing of birds, go to the forest in autumn and summer to pick mushrooms and berries, in addition, problems with consumables for decoration or construction will automatically disappear.

• However, a site near a forest can also provoke some problems, such as the invasion of the site by rodents and other forest pests and insects.

Flowerbeds and beds located near the forest will be subject to biological attack from trees: all useful substances and water will be absorbed by old trees and wild plants.

• A dense forest, in addition to protecting the house and site from the wind, can provide shade on the beds in places where the sun is vital.

The location of the house on a hill is an almost ideal option in terms of landscape design, abundance of sunlight, and wonderful views of the surrounding area. But many owners of houses on a hill devote almost their entire lives to solving the problem of washing away soil, laying paths and foundations, and creating an irrigation system.

A house located in a lowland will save you from problems with dry soil and wind. However, when building a house, garage, or other buildings, think in advance about a sufficient level of waterproofing.

As a rule, low-lying areas have a very high groundwater level, which in turn will create problems during cool seasons and during floods.

By the pond

The location of the site near a reservoir seems to be the most acceptable option, both from the point of view of construction and from the point of view of landscape. The only thing is that mosquitoes and insects will often fly around the house, and the soil will need drainage.

In any case, for a house on a plain or a hill, you will have to take care of the proper level of protection from “uninvited guests” and wild animals, as well as build protection for trees and flowers from harmful weather conditions.

What is the electrification of the site?

In order to carry out construction work, repairs, or even hold a party for friends, a lot of electricity will be required.

It is believed that the consumption rate for one cottage is 20-30 kW. However, in real life this is far from the case. Many cottage owners consider it lucky to have 10 kW, and some - even half. This issue should be clarified at the site selection stage.

That is why the question of organizing an additional energy source, a substation or a wind or solar installation is urgent. Another way out is to use electricity wisely, for example, by creating an automatic control system.

How to warm it up?

A common solution, but not the most profitable one, is electricity (provided that you have been allocated at least 30 kW). If this does not happen, you should take care of supplying gas from the general regional gas supply system. But whether there is a gas supply in this area is worth checking before purchasing a plot.

If desired, you can use gas cylinders, but in terms of safety they are, of course, inferior to the general gas system. Alternatively, unite with your neighbors, because together with them it is much easier and faster to solve such problems.

Which form should I choose?

In addition to the infrastructure and foundation for the future cottage, the shape of the land plot is also important. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, which we will try to briefly consider.

Narrow (longer than wider)

Such a site will bring a lot of discomfort to those who love privacy and do not want to let neighbors close to their home. In addition, the choice of house designs suitable for narrow areas is limited. However, with the help of landscaping and zoning, you can create unique effects, for example, placing a long vineyard on the site, or a garden in the future. In the depths of the plot you can build another small house or a swimming pool.

Corner plot of land

Convenient in terms of placing a fence and gate, it is more isolated, since neighbors can only live on two sides (out of four). However, with a corner plot, you cannot avoid curious glances from the side of the roadway or pedestrian area, besides, the fence on the side of the road needs to be arranged as securely as possible; it is better not to plant garden trees close to the fence.

Square plot of land

It is ideal both from the point of view of placing the house and choosing a project and arranging the garden part. There are practically no disadvantages to this form of plot; moreover, the logic of the square shape will inspire careful management of the entire household.

Taking into account all of the above factors, you will become the owner of an excellent plot! And if you have questions about some land in the near Moscow region, then call us - we’ll help you!
We designed and built houses in most cottage villages near Moscow.

A few examples of our houses with beautiful plots:

The first and main task that needs to be solved before starting construction is the selection of land for construction. The second important point is the choice of house design and these two points are closely related. The project is always tied to specific conditions on the ground - relief, soil nature, groundwater level and the like. Therefore, it is better to start with the selection of a site than to first select a project and then look for a land plot on which this project can be implemented.

Before you start looking for a suitable location for your future home, you need to answer two main questions:

1. In what area should the site be located? City limits, suburbs or “open field”? The price of the plot, accessibility of communications, surrounding views and the number of obstacles when coordinating a future project will greatly depend on this initial criterion.
2. What should the plot size be? This greatly depends on your plans regarding the number of buildings on the site, as well as the presence of a garden, etc. The optimal proportion is usually the ratio of the area of ​​the future house to the total area of ​​the site as 1 to 10. That is, the easiest way is to take the area of ​​the house and multiply it by ten.

Acquisition of land for construction

You can buy a plot of land for construction on the primary or secondary real estate market. To search for options, you can contact the administration of the municipality where you want to build, or realtors or even private advertisements.

The main thing in this matter is to stock up on the necessary minimum of legal knowledge in order to understand the issue and not buy a “pig in a poke” with a bunch of potential problems. If your knowledge is not enough and you are afraid of deception, it is better to consult a professional lawyer on these types of transactions. At this stage it usually takes quite a lot of time, because it is necessary not only to select a site, but also to check its “cleanliness” according to the documents and arrange everything correctly.

1. Title documents for the site. The site should not be located on the territory of sanitary protection or water protection zones, as well as agricultural land, so that later there will be no problems with its development. In addition, it is better to buy a plot that has already undergone the land surveying procedure.
2. Geological characteristics of the site. What is the nature of the soil on the site, what is the groundwater level and the depth of the aquifer (if you plan to extract water using your own well) and the quality of the water.
3. What communications are already available and what are planned for the near future (within a year). Remember that for construction you will need normal access roads, water, electricity and sewerage (septic tank).
4. The price of the plot should not be significantly lower than the average. This may very likely indicate that the site is “problematic” - there may be obstacles in registering ownership rights to it, some restrictions on development/communications, problematic soil, etc.

Land surveying

It is especially important to take care of the question of whether the site you like has passed the land surveying procedure (determining boundaries). If land surveying has not been carried out, then the boundaries of the site are not documented and can be challenged at any time. The procedure for land surveying, that is, determining the boundaries of a site, is described in Article 260 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

To carry out land surveying, you need to enter into an agreement with a land management company that has the appropriate license. In this case, it is necessary to provide a certificate of ownership of the land and all data on the plot from the cadastral chamber. After this, the land management company on the ground will determine the boundaries of the site and coordinate them in the presence of you and your closest neighbors.

Soil type and groundwater

The type of soil is the most important characteristic of the site, which greatly influences the choice of foundation for the future home. In addition to the type of soil itself, the depth of groundwater also has a decisive influence. This data can be obtained through geological examination, which is also carried out by special bodies. From a practical point of view, a house can be built on almost any soil, even in standing water. Everything will depend on the complexity and cost of architectural solutions for each specific case. Therefore, first of all, it will be necessary to conduct a geological examination, and then contact an architect to choose a method for implementing a specific house project.

A high groundwater level can play a cruel joke for the owner of the site. Thus, during a flood period, some areas may even be completely flooded with water, which will make the desire to build a basement or underground garage under the house almost impossible or difficult to realize.

There is a fairly simple method for independently checking the groundwater level at a site. It is necessary to dig several holes or wells at different points of the site using a shovel or hand drill with a depth of 70-80 cm and wait an hour or two. If after this time the bottom of the pits remains dry, there is nothing to worry about. However, it is also advisable to ask your neighbors whether areas are flooded in the spring during floods or during heavy, prolonged rains. Particular attention should be paid to this if you purchase a plot next to a river.

Relief of the site

If the site is located on flat terrain, this is simply an ideal option from a construction point of view (unless you are planning individual “troubles” with multi-level architecture). However, if the site has a slope or changing terrain, this can significantly complicate life when building a house. Therefore, you need to decide on this in advance and look for just such a site that matches your architectural ideas.

Water supply and sewerage

The ideal option, of course, would be to connect to a collective water supply system, although this option also has its drawbacks (difficulties in coordinating the connection, often low water pressure in the summer due to the massive watering of gardens and vegetable gardens). If there is no water supply in the immediate vicinity and is not expected, then all that remains is to drill your own well, and here serious obstacles often arise.

Many people think that water can be found anywhere, but in practice this is not always the case. It is not for nothing that in the old days the talent of a dowser was highly valued - a person who knew how to find an aquifer close to the surface. After all, in your particular area you may need to drill a well 50 or even 100 meters deep before you get to normal water. And even then the question of its quality remains open, because not all water is suitable for domestic use (and especially for ingestion and cooking).

Therefore, it is also advisable to inquire about the issue of water supply at the very beginning of assessing the site you like, otherwise the costs of individual access to water through a well and its further purification can hit the budget hard.

Close to water supply is the issue of arranging sewerage on the site. The possibility of connecting to a centralized sewerage system usually exists only within the city, and even then not everywhere, so in most cases, in practice, the only option left is to install an individual septic tank. This can be either a standard waterproofed pit (with the need for regular pumping and removal of liquid waste), or modern multi-component filtration and waste treatment systems, up to the possibility of using the resulting water for watering the garden.

The issue of sewerage can become very complicated if your site is located next to a reservoir, especially in an area of ​​150 meters from it - then the SES will have especially stringent requirements for the reliability of the septic tank and preventing waste from entering groundwater.

Electricity supply

You need to find out the location of the electrical substation closest to the site and the maximum power that can be allocated to your future home. Due to the fact that most substations and power lines are already quite worn out, Electric Networks usually severely limit the amount of power allocated to a home (about 10 kilowatts). And given the growing number of electrical appliances in homes, you will have to either save on electricity consumption, or try in various ways to obtain permission for additional power, or produce it in alternative ways (solar panels, wind generators, etc.).

This all, of course, applies to the case when electricity passes near your site and you have the opportunity to connect to it. If you bought a plot in an unplowed field, everything becomes much more complicated, since you will either have to wait for the initiative of the district administration to provide you with electricity (if the land is cut into many plots), or chip in with all your neighbors and collectively pay for the laying of an electrical network to you . Until then, you will have to use a portable diesel or gasoline electric generator.

Gas supply

In this regard, everything is usually even more complicated than with electricity. Gas is usually present only within the city or in the suburbs, but if the site is located far from civilization, you can immediately forget about it. But if you have a gas pipeline, it will be much easier for you to solve the problem in the future with the installation of heating and hot water supply systems in the house, as well as with cooking. All this, moreover, will reduce power consumption, which will help reduce costs on this item. Therefore, it is worth considering the possibility of purchasing a plot of land near the gas pipeline, of course, after calculating all the pros and cons.

Other communications

The first and main question when purchasing a plot of land at a considerable distance from the city is the availability and quality of roads. The quality and capacity of the road is crucial not only in terms of the speed of travel to the nearest supermarket or hospital, but also on the ability to easily get home or to the city in winter or spring/autumn bad weather, as well as the ability for heavy equipment to travel to your site for construction work.

The need for a wired telephone has virtually disappeared with the advent of cell phones. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check the cellular signal level in your area, because your operator’s tower may be located at a considerable distance, and the walls of your future home will weaken the signal even more.

It is worth remembering such modern benefits of civilization as television and the Internet. Find out where the nearest TV tower is located, unless, of course, you plan to solve this problem radically by installing a satellite dish.

The issue of Internet access is the most difficult. In cities with a population of over 500 thousand inhabitants, this is, as a rule, no longer a problem - there is quite a lot of competition in the provider market and you can choose whose services to use, while paying a rather symbolic amount per month for a high-speed channel.

In the suburbs or at a significant distance from the city, everything is much more complicated. There is no need to wait for cable Internet, there are basically two options left - a GPRS/3G modem or a satellite dish (a faster option, but here the outgoing channel will usually have to be organized on the basis of a cellular modem).

In addition, it is worth finding out about the procedure for delivering mail to your future address and about the possibility of centralized garbage collection.

Ecology

This section includes your personal preferences:

• picturesque surroundings (taking into account future development);
• proximity to ponds and forests for the possibility of walking and relaxing in nature;
• the environmental situation in the area (does the wind bring emissions from nearby plants/factories, etc.);
• shading of the site from the sun by houses and trees on neighbors' properties.

Conclusion

The main rule when choosing a site is not to rush. Consider different options, evaluate them for each of the above points, compare not only the prices of the plots themselves, but also the approximate costs of compensating for various difficulties (such as lack of water or electricity). It is convenient to write out all the options in the form of a table with the characteristics of the sites, so it will be much easier to compare them. Make a purchasing decision only after weighing all the pros and cons, and do not forget to carefully check the documents for the site. Remember - a week spent at this stage can save months and even years in the future, not to mention possible financial losses.