Three questions to ask before buying a plot

I get called after the plot is bought far more often than before. That order is backwards. An hour of consultation before purchase is the cheapest architecture you will ever buy. If you cannot get an architect, at least take these three questions with you.

First: where does the water go? Walk the plot in rain if you can. Slopes, neighbours uphill, a road that drains toward you. Water is the most patient enemy a building has, and drainage work is invisible money.

Second: what can you legally build? Not what the seller says, but what the zoning documents say. Height limits, setbacks, protected views. I have seen a plot lose half its buildable area to a setback nobody had read about.

Third: where is the sun in winter? Summer sun is generous everywhere. It is the low December light that decides whether your living room is a place or a corridor. A plot that faces the wrong way can be worked with, but you should know you are buying a problem, and pay accordingly.