With spring approaching, the hunt for the perfect home lot is underway for most families. This reminded me of an article I wrote a few years back on the pros and cons of selecting wooded lots over lots with few or no trees on them.
Now please don't get me wrong, I love big trees as much as the next person and few things are more beautiful than a yard full of mature trees surrounding a luxurious Garabedian Home. However, there are some hidden costs which should be considered when selecting a wooded lot to build upon.
Lot Premiums
It is commonly accepted that wooded lots are some of the most desirable properties. Developers have added premiums to these lots when marketing them to builders/homeowners. Frequently a wooded lot will have a $15,000 to $25,000 premium (or more) over sites with no trees. Often families fall under the misconception that the lot premium is the only significant cost in selecting a wooded home site. However the truth is much more complicated.
Hidden Costs
Building a home amongst trees can add costs and time to the construction process. These costs can break out into three primary categories.
Code compliance is the first category and includes items such as; tree surveys, tree removal permits, code compliance, tree fencing and signage. These items can add several thousands of dollars to the cost of construction all before anyone has started to work on your actual home.
Construction costs are the most visible factor that families will notice in this process. These include; tree removal, stump & root removal, backfilling & compacting where the trees were removed, haul off & dump fees, trimming the remaining trees and additional tractor time. Other costs include more expensive irrigation systems, adding retaining walls for drainage & tree protection and tree clean up/pruning. These costs can add up in to the tens of thousands of dollars in the blink of an eye.
Ongoing maintenance after the home is complete can add up as well. Regardless of how much care is taken during construction, trees can go into shock months or years later. If treatments are unsuccessful in saving them, you will spend hundreds if not thousands to have the trees and stumps removed. The remaining trees will require annual maintenance including trimming, pruning, lifting and supplements. (Yes trees do need vitamins.)
Other costs include periodic clean up of your property. These mature trees will often be in locations that may lead to their branches & leaves filling up your pool, ponds and gutters. The cleanup is a year round process.
Alternative Choice
An alternative is to select a lot with fewer trees and then used your savings to have the landscaper place trees in locations that would compliment your property. In addition to only paying for the trees you want, you would also be covered by the installers warranty if the trees went into shock after planting. $35,000 could purchase dozens of mature trees that are covered by a warranty and installed where you want them.
Conclusion
We do not want to talk you out of selecting a site that appeals to you, we do want to help give you an understanding on why your home may cost more to build on a heavily wooded site than a similar size home on a level clear lot. Selecting a wooded lot can offer you a home site with character and charm, however, please understand your builder has to account for these additional costs mentioned above.
Thank You
I hope this has given you seemingly simple choices made early in the process can had significant costs to your home budget. By working with your builder all the way through the process you will have opportunities to learn about these factors and make educated decisions.
If you have a question on how we can help you build a custom home, please feel free to email your questions to our offices. Garabedian Properties is a full service building firm serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We offer new luxury homes, premium remodels, green building/remodeling, home care services, storm/roof repairs and commercial building contracting.
Please feel free to leave your comments, drop us an email at mike@garabedianproperties.com or call our office at 817-748-2669 817-748-2669. I also encourage you to visit http://www.garabedianproperties.com to see movies on our homes, hundreds of pictures and information on how we can be of service to your family or clients. Or become a Facebook Fan.
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