Your guide to Acreage living:
What to know, general costs and how to prepare.
Sunrises and sunsets for miles – Picturesque views and stunning greenery – Uninterrupted privacy with a hint of nature: all reasons why more and more of us desire to leave the city and set roots in acreage living. For many of us, the pros definitely out weight the cons when considering to relocate to greener pastures. However, not unlike any new adventure, there are a few things to consider, prior posting that For Sale sign and calling the moving truck.
Where do we start? What’s it going to cost? These are common questions and understandable because there are big differences when building a home out of the city. While the city does provide convenient access to services and utilities, in the country here are just a few of the important topics to discuss and consider for your acreage living:
So, where do you start? Well let’s take it from the top and go step by step in the general sense of things to consider.
The first step is “Where?”. Where do you want to live, set your roots and build you acreage dream home.
We’ll talk about 3 different areas of building:
City – this is any “Single family home” built within the city limits, and in areas where full services of: Natural Gas, Electricity, Water, Sewage, and other services like internet and phone are directly available at the property line.
Acreage Development – this is a development where a large section of land has been broken down into sub-parcels of land which are generally 1 to under 10 acres in size. In most cases the developer will have provided some services to the property line. However, planning for the completion of missing services will be up to the home owner or the home owners builder.
Acreage – this is any parcel of land that is not part of an existing development and will require full-service hook-up from a main service provider, or alternate considerations made. These locations can be a parcel or portion of farm land, or a remote location home, ect.
Sometimes getting out and taking a drive is important to really get the feel of the area. With so many options and locations, don’t be scared to visit areas during different seasons to really get the lay of the land. Once you have decided where you want to build, we recommend following these steps to ensure building your new acreage home is possible, and within your budget.
Soil and ground stability: $$
Starting with a solid foundation – Within the city (and most Acreage Developments), subdivisions have been designed by engineers where factors of the water table and soil conditions have been reviewed and comprehensive geo-technical surveys have been conducted.
Acreage living requires the same considerations for your home. What’s under the ground and what your home will be sitting on is a vital question to ask. Is it rock, sand, or an old dried up marsh. If your new home is not in an area which has been tested, it is strongly suggested that the location be thoroughly reviewed and the foundation be designed by a professional engineer. Your foundation is the single most important component of your new home and under no circumstances should this be over looked.
Roads: $$ ($10,000 – and up)
Can you even get there? – It’s often overlooked and if not planned properly, could cost thousands. How are you going to access your new home? While there are strict regulations from the Ministry of Road Highway on where access to your home can be made, this is only the first hurdle. In the city driveways are easy and often very short in length. On an acreage, these driveways can turn into actual roads. In some cases, additional environmental factors will determine where and how a driveway can be built. In turn, the longer it is, the more costly to build AND maintain. Don’t underestimate general maintenance like grading and snow removal.
Water: $$ ($5,000 – $30,000)
We all need it – There’s no way around it. Generally, acreage living will require a new supply line of fresh water. When water is not at your curb, sourcing it other ways is required. Luckily, for the most part water is accessible in most places deep in the ground. Here are a few options:
Well (drilled well or bored well)
Low pressure drip
Delivery
Each option will vary and testing for a prime water location will be necessary. Testing will ensure quality and quantity will satisfy your needs. These needs may only be simple household living ie: drinking, showering and cooking. Or may include substantial demands like: large watering needs for lawns and fields, livestock, car washing ect. In some cases, a combination of options may be required. Delonix Homes will help run water tests and explore the best options for your needs.
Waste water/septic: $$ ($5,000 – $10,000+)
Where does it all go? – While flushing the toilet seems easy enough, on an acreage, a properly designed waste water system will be required if city services are not available. In most cases a waste water system will be required on your acreage. While the size of your acreage will determine some of the options for you, it is necessary that a permit be obtained from the Health Region, and the system be designed by a professional. Soil conditions, land size and neighbouring factors ect. are a few things that will be taken into consideration when properly designing a suitable system for your acreage living.
Power: $$ ($2,000 – $10,000+)
Let there be light – In the city, electrical service is provided directly to the property. If the building site is in an Acreage Development, electricity may be similar to that of the city, requiring only minor work. On an Acreage it may require a bit more expense and work to get. The good thing is that electricity is usually available. Getting to it and weighing the costs involved, are the bigger questions. Electrical service, if not provided to the property line, will need to be engineered by the service provider. This means that special care and attention will be taken to ensure no conflict to existing or future development, will exist. Contacting the service provider directly would be required as every instance will be unique.Gas: $$ ($3,500 – $17,000+) Propane, solar, geothermal
Heating and staying comfortable – Natural gas is very similar to the electrical service where it may be provided close to the building site. However, if natural gas is not close to the building site, proper planning should be made to provide service to the home. Contacting the service provider to design options would be necessary. Where cost may play a factor in designing the electrical and gas services to your home, other options may be more cost effective:
Solar – a great consideration for sustainable green energy and a good supplementary option
Geothermal – sourced from underground, this too is a great consideration
Propane – an alternative to natural gas, however stored in a tank it requires monitoring and refilling
Wind – very uncommon in residential building
These questions are the big ones to consider, and in every case Delonix Homes will work side by side with you to ensure your goals are met. A general rule of thumb is to reserve approx. $10,000 for each Water, Waste, Power, and Gas. The costs for Road and Structural elements will greatly depend on location and situation. Following these preliminary considerations, we move to a few of the more enjoyable topics and include.
Architectural: $ (pending development)
It’s all about you – This is one of many areas where the true joy of acreage living shines and has a huge advantage over city designed home. While city planners control the general design and aesthetic of houses, it tends to restrict the creative design options for your home. In some Acreage Developments, there may be caveats like size and exterior look/products. However, for the most part, custom Acreage homes provide total freedom to build whatever and however you wish, within the constraints of code. Designing your acreage home should be fun and will provide an opportunity to bring to life, your personal preferences and dreams. The Delonix design team works hand in hand with you to bring your vision to life.
Permits: $ ($1,000-$8,000)
Let’s do this right – Permits and licensing is an important process to ensure construction is completed within the parameters of building codes and municipal by-laws. Receiving permit approval is the first step to ensure the building and construction aspects will be conducted as per law. Inspections by authorities generally follow and ensure work has been conducted correctly. Permits which may be required include: general Building, Ministry of Roads, Health Region, Electrical, Gas and Plumbing, and others.
Other:
Lets be thorough – Some of the other things to take into account are:
Garbage & Recycle – is there a regular pick up schedule. If not how will disposal of these items be maintained. Possibly weekend trips to the landfill and recycle depots, or the rental of bins will be required if there is no service.
Road access – your driveway/road is one thing, however consider what regular maintenance is provided for the public road systems to your property line. Is there snow plowing ect.
General convenience – are you prepared for the added travel to shopping, schools, and extra curricular activities? How far away are the kids friends ect.
Emergency – have you considered distance to fire protection, hospitals and other emergency response?
Internet – what is the internet service like. Will the service fulfill your requirements?
Insurance – will there be additional insurance premiums for your new home
We know this is a ton of information and may be a bit overwhelming. But that’s what we’re here for. We’ve done this a time or two, and we’ll work with you through every step. These points are just some of the important things to consider, which may be different than building a home in the city. Each home, municipality and building site is different and may pose other considerations but Delonix Homes is always there for you. Our goals are to provide you, the best home building experience, with the highest quality home and create a place where you build memories.
Are you ready for your forever skies, privacy, and the freedom to live your acreage life?If you find yourself: looking forward to leaving the city every weekend, wanting that little bit of extra space, dreaming of a home with a substantial yard or even acres of land to roam, wanting to explore and have the space to do as you please with your home and land, then it might be time to look at building your Dream Acreage with Delonix Homes.
There are many great acreage developments within a short drive from the city. Contact us today and we’d be more than happy to take you for a drive and show you what is possible.
Give us a call, and let’s talk about your dreams – your custom acreage home and get to your acreage living.