So, you’ve bought a small piece of land in an urban area and are looking to build a home. Urban areas tend to have less property available, and plot sizes can be small. Even in this situation, you can make a roomy home that’s perfect for you. Let’s look into how you can successfully build your home on a smaller urban plot.
The first thing we want to focus on is the internal layout of the home. Concentrate on your floorplan and how to use each space efficiently will be paramount to the perfect home. You will need to create spaces that can meet multiple needs, like making a guest bedroom also double as a utility room or a study that can double as a game room. You don’t want to fall into the trap of cramming too many bedrooms on the second floor or too many rooms on the first floor, or your ground and upper floors may become out of sync, which can negatively affect the flow of the home.
Some out of the box ways of thinking regarding homes include the Low-Profile Homestyle. This involves building rooms below the ground and adding some green space above it. The street view is a single-story home with a basement to utilize all space available. You can use every part of your area above ground for the kitchen and a living room and add the living spaces underneath like your master/guest bedrooms and a study. You can add a courtyard with any available space on your ground floor to create more of an open space feeling. Keep in mind the logistics of this sort of design, like where your sewage line is and if you’ll have to install a pump or to ensure your builders are aware of any storage space issues as they build.
The other more traditional way to utilize your space is the multi-story home. You can build up instead of down and get a two or three-story building on your new plot of land. With this style of build, you will want to try to get open staircases scissor-style to give you more of a sense of free space in your home. You can also utilize roof space, though you will want to ensure that your roof is constructed the correct way, usually attic roof trusses, to design a “roof room.”
Concerning the permitting and zoning of your plot of land, you will need to reach out to your local municipality during your planning process to ensure your build goes smoothly. Many cities accommodate smaller home builds, however zoning codes and house ordinances can be very specific, so don’t skip over the details. Construction codes will be what you want to ask about, and the contractor that you have chosen to assist with building your new home should be able to help with any rules or regulations that you need to follow.