The first step to building your custom home starts with choosing the right lot. This is one of the most important decisions you’ll make—it affects everything from the size and layout of your home to how it sits on the land.
Before you fall in love with a piece of property, it’s worth taking the time to do your homework. We’ve seen it happen more than once—someone buys a lot right away, only to find out later that their dream home doesn’t actually fit the property for one reason or another. Give us a call for a free consultation before purchasing. We’ll help you understand what’s possible before you make that investment.
Understand the Lot’s Buildable Space
Not every square foot of your lot can be used for your home. There are many factors that can limit your buildable area:
- Homeowner association (HOA) guidelines
- Local setbacks and variances
- Environmental regulations
- Easements or unique property features
We work directly with you and your local municipalities to make sure the home you design not only fits your lifestyle, but also fits your homesite perfectly. Confirming where old infrastructure and setback guidelines are is especially important—you can sometimes use existing setbacks from an older home if the process is handled properly.
Check for Existing Infrastructure
Does your lot already have access to utilities like septic, water, or electricity? If it does, that’s great news—it can be an immediate cost savings for you! Just make sure those systems can actually be utilized for your new build.
If the lot doesn’t have existing infrastructure, adding septic, water, and utilities will increase costs. We can help you verify what’s available and what will need to be installed. We’ll work with your local municipality or a professional surveyor to identify easements and ensure everything is in order before construction begins.
Lots with Existing Structures
In competitive markets like Lake Country, Wisconsin, it’s common to find lots with older homes already on them. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker—tearing down an existing structure is often doable—but it can extend your timeline or affect where your new home can be placed.
We’ll help you evaluate whether keeping, removing, or rebuilding on the existing foundation makes the most sense for your project.

