← Land and homestead planning
H01-01 · Module 1 of 7 · Pages: 24 · Worksheets: 8
Choosing and assessing land
How to read a plot before you buy it or dig the first spade — water, soil, sun, access, risks and paperwork, step by step
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Whole series: Land and homestead planning, €39
In short
- Water is criterion number one. Without reliable water in summer there is no garden and no livestock.
- Visit the plot at least three times: in winter, in spring and in late summer.
- Dig a test pit 40–60 cm (16–24 in) deep and run four simple soil tests.
- Ask the neighbours — they know when the spring dries up and where the frost settles.
- Don't pay anything until title, access and water have been checked.
What's inside
Chapters
- Goal first, then land
- Water — criterion number one
- Soil — what the land is telling you
- Terrain, sun and microclimate
- Access, surroundings and risks
- Existing buildings and plants
- Paperwork before the first payment
- The true cost of a plot
- Score and decision
- Common mistakes
- Printable checklist
Worksheets
- Plot score
- Comparing plots
- Soil test log
- Questions for the seller and neighbours
- A year of watching the plot
- Land area calculator
- True cost of the plot
- Contacts for your plot
Fields and checkboxes can be filled in with Adobe Acrobat Reader (desktop and mobile), and the calculator adds up by itself. Filling in may not work in some browsers. A print version comes with the screen PDF.
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