As I drive around the Seacoast of New Hampshire for work-related activities, I have been noticing a phenomenon concerning new home builds. Building lots that were once considered undesirable are now being built on. The seacoast of New Hampshire and the Southern Maine coastline have become desirable areas to live in, and the new construction home industries have been strong for the last decade.
The purpose of this blog is to focus on sound building fundamentals and methods of construction. My concern for these new construction builds is that new homes dismiss the fundamentals of building sound, long-lasting homes on the land that they sit on, because either there is a rush to start a project or an absence of property to build on. Therefore, what are sound building lots for homes to sit on? Topography would be my number one concern when buying a building lot. Water runs downhill; therefore, I would look for a lot that has a defined topography, in which the house would sit on the highest elevation. IBC and standard building code dictate 1”/10’ of slope around the perimeter. In my opinion, this minimum dictated by building codes is not adequate for a long-lasting build in the New England area. I would prefer a 4”/10’ slope to ensure snowpack and drainage are defined.
The second fundamental that I would search for when choosing a building lot is ecology, especially the soil. Soils are so underrated by homeowners and builders when choosing a building lot for a home. Try to avoid clay-based soil, because it’s likely that the building is a candidate for foundation issues. Also, clay has poor drainage properties for lawns.
The last fundamental that would be a deal breaker when purchasing a building lot is not having a southern exposure house. Southern exposure for a home provides bright natural light all day and warms your house up through radiation, which is an important heating detail for a home in New England.
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