Now what...? (Knoxville, Loudon, Central: for sale, house, neighborhood)

[maraplus]

Ok...so we have the land... now what? If everything goes as planned we're hoping in 2 years we'll be able to make our move. Is there something we should/could be doing in the mean time to prepare...? We will need a septic and well....is this work we should start thinking about now?
What about permits and finding out exactly where a house could be built on the property... it seems so overwhelming just to think about. Or are all these things best left to when we are ACTUALLY there -letting a builder take care of it? I'm not sure where to start...or if we should even start now.
Any advice greatly appreciated! Sara

[bbkaren]

Survey
Soil Survey

We did these things before buying; then our next step was to talk to a septic contractor, who visited the site and gave us an idea of how big a septic we could get. If you're on a sizeable lot maybe the septic guy could tell you where the house would be best located...

We're planning on putting the septic in asap even though the house can't be put up right away. I'm too paranoid that the environmental movement will get to Tennessee before we do and suddenly there would be more restrictions on septics in the near future. Even if we have to put a used single wide on there in the meantime, we want to get "grandfathered in" before any regulations change.

We won't be building in TN for 4 or 5 years unless something improves drastically here with the housing market and we can sell for a decent profit.

You're in Loudon, right? DM me if you'd like info on the septic guy we've spoken with. He's incredibly nice and helpful, although we haven't gotten to the point of getting references for his work yet.

[Barking Spider]

Hopefully you had a survey before you bought the property. bbkaren gave good advice about the septic. You need to get in touch with a well person too.
Depending on where you are, there may not be much as far as building permits go (septic and electrical are a given anywhere).

When you get ready to build, do LOTS of research on the builder you choose. Call past clients and go see the work. Check to make sure they are actually licensed (with the State contractors board in Nashville), and in good standing. This is THE most important part of the whole thing.

There are many counties surrounding Knoxville that have little if any building code enforcement, and the results are what you would expect (many times).

If at all possible, be here during construction and make frequent trips to the house. You may also want to hire an independent inspector to look out for your interests (during construction). At the very least you should have a full inspection when the house is completed, and before you make the final payment.

Just my 2 cents

[Eat]

Don't do anything in the construction department unless you or a trusted overseer are here. There are way too many things that can go wrong.

You can't put in a septic until you know exactly where the house is going. The state septic folks will want the foundation marked. To mark the foundation area, you need plans, orientation, and perhaps a formal site survey. That is different than a boundary survey of the property, which you should already have. If you don't have a boundary survey, you should get one, excepting perhaps in a new major development. In that case, the developer should have one on hand. Otherwise have one done before you go any further.

If I recall correctly, the septic permitting authorities will also want to know where the driveway goes. Driveways require their own permits on all state highways and some county highways. If you are in Loudon County on a county road, driveway permits were not required when I last talked to the county folks. That could have changed.

Where is your property?

These days, and this is relatively new, it is vital that your interpretation of how many bedrooms the house will have matches the interpretation of the building inspector. If they don't match, you can end up with an installed worthless septic and a refusal by the county to issue a building permit, at least until you change the plans to reduce the number of what they consider bedrooms to match the size of the septic.

To the the building inspector, any interior room over a minimum size that has a door and a closet is a bedroom. Septic systems are sized and permitted by bedroom count, and a lot of counties will not issue building permits for a house with more bedrooms (by their standards) than the septic is designed to support. Their standards and the architect's may be wildly different.

Basically, you will have to make all the decisions about exactly where the house and any outbuildings will be going, along with driveways, before you apply for a septic permit. You should also have building plans in hand, which you have shown to the building inspector to get his informal opinion on the bedroom count.

You can't, or at least shouldn't drill a well, or get the permit, until you know where the septic is going. If you do, it could limit your options regarding house and septic placement.

The well driller count is declining here. As more areas get "city water," the demand for drillers is going down. You'll want to talk to your neighbors about who drilled their wells, before you proceed. If you are in Loudon, I may be your neighbor.

[maraplus]

Wow...thank you ALL for your help. I will have to read the posts several times over to get an understanding on how this all works. Our property is just inside Roane County-(Duke Lane) but with a Loudon zip 37774. Don't know if that helps.
BBKaren- we are in the same boat here with the housing market...I hope it doesnt take years to straighten out. Just as an example a home in a middle class neighborhood here sold a couple years ago for $480,000- that same home, recently sold again, for under $270,000. Its a scary thing....everywhere I look I see for sale...or worse yet FORCLOSURE signs. Anyway....I'll re-read the posts tomorrow- without sleepy eyes. THanks again.

[Eat]

Hi Neighbor.

We are not too far away at all, but in Loudon County. About a ten minute drive from your property (I searched your earlier posts ). All the information I posted earlier in the thread applies, except for the bit about Loudon County driveways not requiring permits, which you won't care about.

If you need any contacts, phone numbers, etc., at the Roane County offices, or require the services of a local surveyor, DM me and I should be able to help. We just had a bunch of property surveyed, and we used a fellow from Roane County upon recommendation from several individuals over there.

I also have a reliable neighbor with an excavating business.

If I can be of assistance in any way, just DM me.

[maraplus]

Originally Posted by Eat

Hi Neighbor.

We are not too far away at all, but in Loudon County. About a ten minute drive from your property (I searched your earlier posts ). All the information I posted earlier in the thread applies, except for the bit about Loudon County driveways not requiring permits, which you won't care about.

If you need any contacts, phone numbers, etc., at the Roane County offices, or require the services of a local surveyor, DM me and I should be able to help. We just had a bunch of property surveyed, and we used a fellow from Roane County upon recommendation from several individuals over there.

I also have a reliable neighbor with an excavating business.

If I can be of assistance in any way, just DM me.

Thanks.... I'm sure I'll be DM'ing you Right now funds are tight so anything we do will have to require very little if any cost. Hopefully within the next few months that situation will change. We do have the Platt to the property.(I guess thats the boundry survey spoken of earlier)
So, if I understand the posts correctly...the first thing we would need to get done would be house plans...(is that the same as the 'floor plans?
-THEN septic placement would be determined from that....not visa versa? We already know about where we want the house positioned.
Thanks- I'll stay in contact -your neighbor

[Eat]

I don't know if you have a numeric street address, or not. If not, I would suggest getting one by calling Roane Central at 865-354-0704. They may ask for your tax number to ID the parcel. It should be on the plat.

The number is often busy. It may take a few trys to get through.

Are you going to use stock plans, or will you hire an architect or residential designer?

Some contacts:

Kay Christopher
Roane County Zoning Officer
865-376-5505
zoningk@roane.gov.org

Glen Cofer
Roane County Building Inspector (building permits)
865-717-4230
gcofer@roane.gov.org

Tennessee Ground Water Protection Staff (septic permits)
Roane County Field Office
865-717-0695

Glen Cofer and Kay Christopher work out of the Planning and Zoning office. The state GWP staff are in their anteroom. Everything is very convenient, if you are in town. All of these folks, except Kay tend to be out in the field most of the day. Kay is usually in a meeting somewhere. It is always best to call early (before 8:00 am). If Glen or Kay are out, you will usually get their assistant. I think her name is Jane. She is very knowledgeable, and can point you to the right office, if you need to talk to someone outside of Planning and Zoning.

All of these people are there to assist you, and they are an excellent resource. It is the same in the other rural counties.

Glen Cofer is the best person to call to discuss your property and talk about how you should proceed.

[maraplus]

Originally Posted by Eat

IAre you going to use stock plans, or will you hire an architect or residential designer?

Well, I'm not sure. We've looked at house plans (floor plans) on line...just to get ideas on what we want/don't want. (I'm open for advice on this too! The pros and cons of stock plans verses architect. )

Thank you so much for the contact list.
I've been telling my husband how great the people on this board are...!!

[Eat]

It's hard to say how to proceed in your situation. I do know that the Roane County Planning and Zoning office maintains a list of builders that work in the county and are licensed and insured. You might ask for the list, then call the builders and see if you can get a recommendation on an architect or residential designer.