Buying land may seem intimidating at first, but it really isn't difficult at all if you plan a course of action and stick to it.

Know Your Budget Talk with a loan officer to find out how much you can afford. Both down payments and interest rates can be higher for land than for homes, so it's important to get facts before you go shopping.

If you plan to build soon, loan officer should explain construction loans, including closing procedures you'll encounter while house is being built.

Building Costs Talk with area contractors to determine average price you can expect to pay per square foot for type of home you wish to build.

Include estimates for building a driveway or road to homesite.

Don't forget estimates for well digging and septic installation if your home will not be connected to community water and sewer.

How will it take to construct home?

To find maximum amount you can spend for land, deduct building costs from your total budget, then deduct a bit more for unexpected expenses. Target A Location If you've already looked at homes in area, you may know where you want to build. List locations by order of preference. If you're undecided, become more familiar with area by driving around, reading newspapers, and talking to locals.

Your Wants and Needs Make a list of all features that would exist on ideal piece of land. Review list, highlighting your must-haves, such as a great view, privacy, or a waterfront building site.

How Much Land Do You Need? What's minimum size lot or tract of land you are willing to consider? Keep in mind that a heavily wooded, 1-acre lot may be more private than a 3-acre lot that's all lawn. Tour a variety of neighborhoods and pay attention to settings.

Land Use Considerations How will you use land? If you plan to build a duplex, you must choose a site where zoning or other restrictions allow multifamily dwellings. If you know you want a manufactured, consider only tracts of land where those structures are allowed.

Consider Restrictive Covenants Developments are governed by guidelines called Restrictive Covenants. I know of one development where cats are not allowed, even if they are indoor pets. Some prohibit metal roofs, which are very popular on log homes. Some dictate paint colors or have an architectural review committee that must approve your home plans. Study covenants carefully to determine if you can live with them.

Start Your Search

Look for 'For Sale' signs as you browse area.

Search for properties on Internet.

If you see interesting tracts of land, note their exact location. A visit to county tax office is usually all it takes to find owner.

With government's new quality mark scheme now underway in most parts of country, getting a reputable builder should be easy.

Unfortunately some homeowners are finding out too late that while they are happy with quality mark members work, they are certainly paying extra for a standard of work a reasonable person would expect from any builder.

So what is quality mark scheme?

It is designed to help homeowner find a reputable builder to carry out repairs and improvements to their home. It also provides reputable builders/tradesmen with a scheme which allows them to demonstrate their commitment to quality by becoming members of scheme.

While government are to be commended for tackling cowboy builder there are rumblings of misgivings from within industry.

Here are a few of these worries.

At moment it is free to join for companies with a turnover of less than £1 million. This is obviously to encourage membership but what happens when majority have joined and they then demand a large annual fee to remain a member? Once you leave this or any other federation you become conspicuous by your absence. Because of this members will be loath to leave which means cost will be passed to you customer.