  hether you are interested in developed or undeveloped land, you should check into many details about it before you sign a contract to purchase.
DEVELOPED LAND
When considering a lot that's ready to build on, check to see just how much of the property is considered buildable. Inconveniently placed setback lines or easements (for utilities and access to adjacent properties) may compromise your house design or plans for outside structures such as a guest house or detatched garage. If the lot owner doesn't have a metes and bounds plot showing these features, go to the local recorder's office and look up the records. Also check the neighborhood's covenants and restrictions to see that there are no limitations that would conflict with your plans (prohibition of two-story houses, for example).
UNDEVELOPED LAND
Once you've located that parcel that seems right for the kind of house you envision, you need to check out just how hospitable the terrain really is. Start at the zoning office. Officials there can tell you whether a site is zoned for single or multiple family housing, or commercial or industrial purposes. Study your prospective site carefully to check out these restrictions:
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Site accessibility: Where are the roads?
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Are they paved or dirt?
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Who is responsible for keeping them up?
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Does access to the site involve crossing someone else's property? If so, you'll need an easement or permission to use that land. Be sure the availability and cost of the easement is settled before committing to your building site.
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Slope of the land: Will extensive grading or fill be needed? (This could add to your costs considerably.)
LOT DIMENSIONS
 Your local recorder's office can advise you of easements and setbacks that apply to the parcel. A careful look at the lot itself can tell you much:
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Are there any rock outcroppings where the house would sit?
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Large trees can be an asset, but retaining them may affect your design plans.
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A soil test is well worth its price if the lot you've selected has serious problems. A civil engineer can tell you if the parcel is over a former riverbed, for example, in which case your designer would have to take into account how to keep the house from settling too much. Bedrock just below the surface might be reassuring in an earthquake-prone area but an obstacle in tornado country, where basements are important.
DRAINAGE
If you require a septic system, it's important that you have a percolation test performed to see whether the soil can handle the drainage. The test can be performed by independent specialists, but in some areas it must be conducted by a health official, so check with your local health authorities. There are systems that will work in areas where percolation is slow, but they are more expensive and may rise high enough to affect the landscaping scheme. In choosing a lot, just as with a house design, you must attend to even the smallest details for the project to be a success.
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