It's easy to understand why so many people who want to build their own homes choose to do so on an undeveloped rural plot; this type of land usually has lots of growth potential, offers a great deal of privacy, and tends to be far less expensive than sites located in suburban or city areas. It does, however, present its own unique set of challenges; before you begin the construction of your house, there are three important steps you'll need to take.

Clear the land

Creating space for the construction site itself, as well as for a roadway on which your construction workers can transport building materials, is one of the first things that will need to be done. Before you begin, check with your local authority to see if there are any restrictions relating to this type of work, and if you need to obtain a permit.

When carrying out this process, make sure that you create enough room to allow for the easy passage not only of standard-sized cars, but also of large, heavy-duty vehicles, such as forklifts, cranes, concrete trucks and tunnel boring machinery. If the area you need to clear is very large, and you're enlisting the help of others, make sure that you show them exactly where the boundaries of the site end, so that they don't accidentally cause damage to neighbouring plots.

Test the soil

After clearing your land, the next step is to have the soil tested by a geotechnical engineer. Build.com states that this type of expert will be able to tell you if the land on which you'll be building is likely to contract or expand when the earth's moisture levels change. The soil's reactivity will be a deciding factor in what type of foundation you end up using, and how many storeys your house will have; as such, this is a vital test which should be carried out before you even begin to think about designing your property.

Set up the facilities

An undeveloped plot is unlikely to have any of the basic facilities you will need for your property; in most instances, electricity, sewerage, water mains and gas pipes will need to be installed. Although there are several approaches you can take, a technique called boring is frequently used for this process; as Designing Buildings explains, boring allows for the precise fitting of pipes in undeveloped earth.

The first stage of the process is case boring, which, as this site notes, involves the placement of steel casing pipe into the soil; the finished water, gas and sewer mains are then installed inside this piping. This is a complex procedure, and as such, it's essential that it is not rushed and is carried out by a reputable company.

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