touchingcloth

Hello all ,

As a lot of people in Oz tend to buy land to have a project home built on it; can anyone spare any tips on how to go about buying the land.

Are there any pitfalls to watch out for?

Is there any way of telling the quality of the soil in advance of purchasing the land?

Many Thanks
TC

marco121068

I'd say the only way is to have a soil test carried out.

touchingcloth

Thanks for the prmopt reply...a few q's though

Would an estate let carry out a soil test before purchase?

Is a soil test carried out yourself suitable for project builders...or would they insist on their own?

How much does a soil test cost?

TC

Britishaussie

I'd like to know the answer to this, too. I asked it on another thread but don't remember getting a precise reply.

Buzzy--Bee

From another thread I have learned that you can offer on a piece of land subject to soil test .

Cheers

Buzzy

Centurion

In QLD a contract to buy land or indeed any property may be subject to whatever you say in when you make your offer. The offer, unlike the UK, is basically the contract drawn up and sent to the seller, if they sign it then basically its binding.

You could opt to put into your contract that the land is subject to soil test and subject to finance (if you are getting a mortgage). This gives you the option to pull out. Many estate agents dont want you to do this but remember they are only an estate agent!

Ask around in the local area as to what the soils like. For example, here in the Redlands you know the soil type is going to be an H type (highly reactive) since its red martian like soil and everyone knows its pretty bad. This simply means that you have to factor in costs for a better slab and footings. Many major builders will allow only for a type S or M slab.

Good luck with buying land. We did and have not regretted it.