You want to buy some property, but you don’t want to worry about restrictions like those who live in a place run by a Homeowners Association (HOA). Getting unrestricted land sounds appealing. But what do you need to know?
Are There Deed Restrictions?
There might be things in place that limit how many animals you are allowed to have on your property. That might dash your dreams of opening a farm on this particular property. You need to look into this before you put any money down, or you might be looking at a very expensive mistake.
What About Zoning Restrictions?
If you live in a certain municipality, you may need to build your home according to their laws, using the material that they want. That means that your unrestricted land has a lot of restrictions on it. Make sure they don’t have any limits on home size or home foundation types, otherwise you might be unhappy with the direction of your home.
What Does Your Neighbor’s Place Look Like?
Your idea of what a great property and what your neighbor thinks is one can be quite drastic. The problem is, if their place is an eyesore, with a lot of junk on their lawn, then your property can suffer as well. Do some looking around to gauge what your potential neighbor’s upkeep is like.
There are other things you need to know about this unrestricted area:
- Was there an agreement with neighbors about tree removal? This can be enforced even with you as the new owner.
- You can possibly change a deed restriction if it expires or if you are able to get a judge to strike it down. Also, if the property has been condemned, that usually nullifies the restriction.
- An unrestricted area can be used for things like: Homesteading or living in an RV or mobile home. HOAs usually do not allow the last two. You might also want to set up a tiny home on unrestricted land.
It’s not that difficult to find unrestricted land – real estate agents are almost always up front about it, putting it prominently in a listing. You don’t have to do on a deep dive to find them – you just have to make sure that you know everything up front before paying.
If you do your research and due diligence, you might be able to find land that has no restrictions or limitations on them at all.
Find more tips and info in our house and home archives.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.