NPAL related: Building vs buying a house

isacdimi10

If you could easily obtain land, because it's in you DH's family and unused, BUT you would have to have running water brought to it (land has really close neighbors) and you would have to clear trees. Would you go the build or buy route?

ColoRxGirl

It would depend on a lot of factors. Do you have access to municipality water/sewer? Or are you digging a well and doing septic? Do you also have access to gas and electricity readily on the property? Running utilities to a property (especially if a road build is required) can run into the tens of thousands of $$. I'd have to weigh that cost, plus getting a G.C. to build the house versus buying an established home versus new construction with a builder in an established area.

isacdimi10

ColoRxGirl:

It would depend on a lot of factors. Do you have access to municipality water/sewer? Or are you digging a well and doing septic? Do you also have access to gas and electricity readily on the property? Running utilities to a property (especially if a road build is required) can run into the tens of thousands of $$. I'd have to weigh that cost, plus getting a G.C. to build the house versus buying an established home versus new construction with a builder in an established area.

The house is the "cabin" but in reality it sits 1/4 mile from a development, its right on the road, it has neighbors with in yelling distance from the middle of property ( I wanna say 1/4 of an acre on the sides). I believe we have to do a whole septic system but we would have access to water from the municipality. There is electricity on the property but its knob and wire so it would have to be updated but since the existing building would be removed/torn down (there's a trailer and a hand built cabin) it would be removed anyway.

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If we had it to do over again we would build.

hking76

isacdimi10:

ColoRxGirl:

It would depend on a lot of factors. Do you have access to municipality water/sewer? Or are you digging a well and doing septic? Do you also have access to gas and electricity readily on the property? Running utilities to a property (especially if a road build is required) can run into the tens of thousands of $$. I'd have to weigh that cost, plus getting a G.C. to build the house versus buying an established home versus new construction with a builder in an established area.

The house is the "cabin" but in reality it sits 1/4 mile from a development, its right on the road, it has neighbors with in yelling distance from the middle of property ( I wanna say 1/4 of an acre on the sides). I believe we have to do a whole septic system but we would have access to water from the municipality. There is electricity on the property but its knob and wire so it would have to be updated but since the existing building would be removed/torn down (there's a trailer and a hand built cabin) it would be removed anyway.

I'd call the municipality to make sure they'll let you tap into the water. I'd also ask them if a sewer line is nearby so you could avoid the septic tank. I'd build, based on you live in PA, so builders are looking for work and there's electric already run to the property and water available. Very exciting - good luck!

hking76

Oh and check loans for building, they may be different than buying an existing.