By Anthony Holowsko, Rotelle Studio(e) COO
The dream of building a custom home usually starts with buying a piece of property. It may seem like a simple thing. You find a beautiful lot, in the perfect location. Maybe it has the stream you’ve always wanted, mature trees that offer privacy, or a price that’s just too good to pass up. Unfortunately, that dream could turn into a nightmare if you discover after purchasing the land that you can’t build on it, or that project costs will skyrocket due to unforeseen land improvement issues, or that there are roadblocks to obtaining the building permits that impact the construction timeline.
Here at Rotelle Studio(e), we’ve seen properties that can’t be built on for so many reasons. That natural area you love could be home to endangered bog turtles or other protected species. The creek-side home you imagine? Wetlands conservation issues could be an issue. The hilltop property with a view could have problems with driveway access or steep slope concerns. The list goes on.
As your Builder, we want to protect you from needless overruns in construction expenses and disappointment related to buying land. To achieve this, we do have a process prior to the purchase. It’s all part of the program we created called the Rotelle Purchase Protection Program. There are two parts: A proprietary Scrub™ Process and the Rotelle Due Diligence Addendum. The Scrub Process provides buyers with a reliable estimate of what it will cost to improve and build on the land. The Rotelle Due Diligence Addendum protects buyers financially by assuring that building permits and financing are obtained prior to settlement of the land transaction. Here’s how it works:
Scrubbing the Property
You can come to Rotelle for assistance in finding land, or you can find a property on your own. In either case, before the land is purchased, Rotelle engineers and construction experts will implement our proprietary Scrub Process. “Scrubbing” the land involves analyzing the many variables that can impact the cost of preparing the property for building. This could include tree clearing, accessing water, installing septic systems or stormwater management systems, permit fees, utilities, and other factors. The process not only assures that the property is (by all standards) buildable, but it helps establish the fair market value of the property – a factor that can influence negotiations on the purchase price. This is called the Value Assessment – (e)valuator.
Protecting Investments
Before the land agreement is finalized, the Rotelle Addendum is included in the contract. This is step #2 of the program. As part of the land purchase agreement, Rotelle offers this due diligence addendum, requiring all building permits to be obtained prior to settlement. Rotelle will then take charge of navigating the building permit process. This relieves you of the need to deal with the local municipality to get all the permits requirements set into place. It also protects you from zoning-related issues that could result in additional costs, building restrictions, and a lot of work and headaches.
Once the all-clear is given and the building permit has been issued, settlement can go forward. Best of all, because permits are in place, Rotelle can begin building immediately after settlement: saving both time and money for you as the buyer. Something other builders are just won’t or can’t do.
Protecting Peace of Mind
The value of the Rotelle approach is the peace of mind you’ll enjoy, knowing that the land you’ve fallen in love with will love you back when it comes to building. This is what makes Rotelle different from other builders; we do all the work for you. Your investment will be safe and there will be no land-related surprises when building begins. Best of all, you can focus on the custom home design and amenities you’ve always wanted – and the memories you’ll make when it’s filled with friends and family.
