How to Choose a Plot for Construction: A Pro's Checklist

Lack of awareness and carelessness when choosing a plot for building a country house can lead to tragedy. Imagine the situation: you bought land, invested money into construction, and then found out that a federal highway is being built within a kilometer of you — forget about peace and comfort.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, together with the director of DOMFRAME construction company Maxim Maslov we prepared a useful checklist — keep it and use it.

Carefully examine access to the plot

Make sure there are no slopes or ditches on the approach. Also pay attention to road width. Before starting construction work, you must think about what kind of machinery will be used and how building materials will be transported. This will require a careful inspection of the road in advance and assessment for heavy and oversized vehicle access. It's good when there are several routes to the plot. If you neglect this issue, there is a high probability of having to resolve these issues at the most inconvenient time, which may increase the budget.

Design: Mister Design Studio

INMYROOM Tip: when building a house, it's not only important to choose the right plot but also find professionals who will help you during construction. To find a trustworthy specialist, choose verified services.

On Avito Services, you can quickly find craftsmen for any task: from transporting building materials and installing septic tanks to finishing work and removing construction waste. Finding the perfect specialist is very easy: in filters, you can specify the worker's experience, suitable days for work and add a warranty on their work. Pay attention to the 'Documents Verified' mark in the master's profile — it means that the specialist has confirmed the authenticity of their account.

To choose a reliable master, pay attention to the specialist's rating and reviews from other users. On Avito, you can also use a filter: just check the box '4 stars and above'. Avito cares about users and only publishes real reviews: each one is checked by the moderation system, which prevents fake responses.

Carefully check documentation for the plot

Focus on two main documents — the cadastral map and general plan.

Cadastral Map

Study the map carefully. Call the owners of adjacent plots and ask what objects are located nearby. Look at large neighboring plots, pay attention to places with unclear buildings and click on them to find out the permitted use. If a neighboring plot has 'industrial production' as its permitted use, be cautious. In several years, something like window block manufacturing or a car wash may appear there.

General Plan

This is a map with all important municipal objects located on the plot. The general plan shows both existing and future objects. General plans are hard to read, but the discoveries you can make by understanding them are worth it.

Design: Dina Salakhova

INMYROOM Tip: if you have chosen a plot, built a house and plan to rent it out, Avito Real Estate is convenient for finding tenants:

• upload photos and videos of the house to increase ad appeal;
• use the convenient calendar for online booking;
• receive feedback from clients — it helps users make choices;
• configure ad promotion to increase demand.

Analyze issues that may affect the plot's future price

These include access roads, developments and nearby factories, air quality. If you want to go out of town and breathe clean air, it's better if there are no livestock farms — active or abandoned — within five kilometers of your plot. The government often supports agriculture, so at any moment, derelict cowsheds, poultry farms or pigsties may 'come alive' and start spreading their classic rural smells.

Odors, as well as proximity to large factories, reduce demand for plots in that area. Many plots will be sold quickly at low prices. Even locals will try to buy plots elsewhere.

Design: Olesya Berezovskaya

Consider factors that increase the plot's price

The following can affect a plot’s price: new transportation junctions, an eco-friendly area, development of the region for country living. While developed infrastructure is obvious to many, visual factors are known to few. Simply put, you should be willing to pay more for a beautiful view.

The presence of a river, pond or other well-maintained (this is important) water bodies near the plot, a forest area (especially with oaks and pines), elevated terrain offering views of surroundings or future hilly landscapes can raise the plot price by up to 30%. Moreover, plots with beautiful views are not easily sold because owners love them and rarely put them up for sale. When they do, they always sell at a higher price.

Design: Lidia Ivanova

Check air quality

Special sensors can help with this. There are many different models available in the modern market.

They include:

Infrared. Characterized by a wide measurement range, accurate readings, and long operational life. Drawback — high price compared to alternatives.

Electrochemical. Known for accurate readings, especially of CO2 levels, automatic calibration option, and affordable price. Drawbacks — shorter lifespan compared to the previous type, narrow operational range.

Electroacoustic. Characterized by long service life without calibration needs. Disadvantages — high price, shorter lifespan than the first type of device.

Design: Architecture Studio Chado

Study the acoustic environment

Noise can be a problem not only due to factories, plants, railway tracks, highways, airports or shopping complexes. Recreation centers, sanatoriums, public beaches and other places are another source of loud sounds. If you want to spend time in the countryside in peace, when buying a plot pay attention to whether there are specially equipped picnic areas, football fields, rural clubs or ski slopes nearby.

If it's impossible to identify such 'attraction points' at first glance, local residents can always help — they'll tell you where people gather.

Photo on cover: Natalia Taminets' project.