Step 1: Feasibility (don’t design your dream until you know what the lot can do)
Feasibility answers the “unsexy” questions that protect your budget:
- Where can the home legally sit on the lot (setbacks, access, easements)?
- What’s the slope and drainage reality?
- What do utilities look like (water, sewer, electrical, gas)?
- Are there neighborhood rules or HOA requirements?
- Are there coastal considerations based on location?
- Are there height, view, or grading constraints?
A feasibility review also helps you avoid designing something that gets value-engineered into something you don’t love later.