Building a House on Developed vs. Undeveloped Land
If you’ve decided you’re going to build a house instead of buy, you will first need some land. You have two options to choose from: land that is developed or undeveloped.
A developed plot of land is often found in a subdivision or real estate community, in which the land is mostly prepared for building to take place. Undeveloped land is essentially buying land as-is, like a 20-acre plot out in the desert.
Before you start looking at Tucson land for sale, you should narrow down which of these two land types best suits your needs. Ask yourself the following questions to get a clearer answer.
How much work do you want to take on?
Undeveloped, raw land is often less expensive upfront (but not necessarily in the long haul) than a developed plot of land. But one of the biggest things to consider when building a house is that undeveloped land will nearly always take more work.
Here are a few things you might have to deal with when trying to build on undeveloped land:
Land Prep
To build on undeveloped land, you’ll likely have to clear and level the ground. This is time-consuming (and expensive) on its own, but it can take even longer in places like Tucson. In Arizona, there are a number of rules regarding the destruction or removal of certain native plants (saguaro cacti are a prime example).
Water & Electric
When buying raw land, there’s a good chance you’ll need to hook up to the city grid for water and electric. It will be your responsibility to make this happen, though in some rural areas, connecting to the city’s water line isn’t even an option.
Connecting to the city water is typically less complicated for developed land purchases, particularly if you’re purchasing in a subdivision or real estate community. The lines are often in place and the connection happens during the building process.
Building Permits
No matter what, you’ll need a building permit to build a house. It’s generally easier to acquire one when building on developed land, mainly because that land is already zoned for (residential) construction. You could run into zoning issues when trying to build on raw or undeveloped land to complicate the process. Worst-case scenario, you could even end up buying land that can’t be built upon.
Building a house is an involved process no matter what, but building on undeveloped land involves a lot more hoops to jump through. If taking on a lot of work isn’t in your interests then buying developed land is your best bet.
What’s your timeline?
It takes an average of 9 months to build a new house, not counting the prep work and planning beforehand. When thinking about all the work that goes into building on undeveloped land, it’s safe to say that your home build could take longer than if you build on a developed lot.
This might not mean much if you’re in no rush to move in, but it could make all the difference if you want to move in sooner rather than later. If time is of the essence, look for developed options in your search for Tucson land for sale.
What’s your price range?
Costs for undeveloped land are generally lower per acre upfront, but this does not mean that building on undeveloped land is cheaper. Thinking back to the amount of work and steps that must be taken to prepare raw land for building, you could very well end up spending more than if you bought a lot in a real estate development.
To prepare raw land for building, here are just some of the expenses you could encounter:
Land grading: $5-$10 per square foot
Land clearing: $200-$6,000 per square foot
Laying a new sewer line: $50-$250 per square foot
Build with Saguaro Ranch
In weighing all the options, it’s pretty clear that building on developed land is less time-consuming, less of a hassle, and could even be less expensive.
When you’re looking for land for sale in Tucson, AZ to build a house on, our estate lots are the perfect solution. Homebuilders at Saguaro Ranch need to pay for driveway grading, a utilities trench and build pad at their expense, as well as install an alternative septic system but our lots are connected to Tucson city water with a 100-year assured water supply. Dealing with water access on a rural plot of Tucson land for sale in the desert is much riskier.
Not to mention, our estate lots come with unbeatable amenities — building here gives you access to the Owners Clubhouse, a beautiful pool, workout facility, hiking trails, and so much more. Contact us to set up a driving tour!
