Buying a Starter Home

Looking For Land In All The Wrong Places? Smart Search Tips To Help You Find A Place For Your Cabin Or Tiny Home

2 November 2018

Capucine Leroux

Looking for the right piece of land can be a bit like the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack. You see hundreds of properties listed for sale on various real estate websites, yet, upon closer inspection, not one of them is right for your intended needs. This problem can become even worse when the reason for your land search involves plans to construct a very small home. 

These small housing options usually consist of a small, portable tiny home built on a trailer frame or a portable shed that is placed on a block foundation for the purpose of being turned into a compact home. Because these homes are very different than most residential houses, local planning and zoning boards may actively seek to keep them from being built in their area because of fears they could negatively affect real estate values in the area. If you are searching for a place where your tiny home or cabin is sure to be welcome, the following search tips can help. 

Learn about applicable zoning laws

The first step to finding the property you need begins with understanding the local zoning laws. One of the ways in which incorporated areas attempt to prevent the construction or placement of these small homes is by enacting building codes that specify a minimum size for residential housing. Searching for property in areas where this type of restriction is in place will only result in frustration. Instead, take time to learn the boundary lines of restrictive zoning laws and then conduct your search for property outside these zoned areas. 

Narrow your search with keywords and phrases

The next step to experiencing a better real estate search process is to make sure that you are using the right keywords and phrases. A good way to do this is to make a brief list of all of features you want to find on the property you eventually buy.

For instance, if you want a property that already has a drilled water well in place, make sure that you are using "water well" and "drilled well" in your search terms when setting up automated real estate searches on apps and multiple listing sites. While doing this will greatly limit the number of hits you get, the resulting rise in quality will make them much more likely to fit your needs. 

Having the assistance of the right real estate agent can be the best way to improve a difficult real estate search. In this case, look for an agent with years of experience in assisting land buyers and sellers in your area. 

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