Launching a really great discussion group this week with some fellow owner/self builders on Instagram! To follow us over there: https://www.instagram.com/marshallremodel/
For our first discussion, you'll hear our thoughts on selecting our build site. This is an extremely personal decision, but I think you'll find it useful if this is the stage of planning you're in. Be sure and check back every Monday/Tuesday for that week's topic.
We purchased this property in fall 2018. We had only been in Iowa a few months, and at the time we lived in the City House. You can find posts on that under the Projects tab.
When our journey from Illinois to Iowa started, we literally drove around to see where we thought we'd like to end up. We weren't even sure about building at that point. In fact we looked at SO many houses that would have been a remodel. Every time we found ourselves in Madison County, we both felt "home".
This property was originally almost inaccessible. It was overgrown and the perfect mess. Paul could see what it could become with some hard work. We always encourage people to look past what something is and see what it could become. Oftentimes it's just a matter of a few weeks and a little elbow grease to turn it into something great. If that's the case, know that you're not looking at a ready to build site that has utilities. You'll want to double check on that before you put in an offer.
If you're on the hunt, here are some of the things we considered:
Privacy- how close/far do you want to be from other homes?
Schools- is the district one that you would be comfortable sending your children to?
Recreation- what all would you like to do while you live there?
Budget- how much are you willing to spend on your property aside from your home?
Sustainability- what measures do you have space or the right lay of the land to take?
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Leave a comment here or on our Instagram with considerations you have or any questions!
https://youtu.be/CSmGar4D_LE