Acreage provides more activity space—and perhaps more room for detached outbuildings—suggests Sarah St. Peter, owner of residential construction company PCDI Homes.  

Teresa Dunn and Jim Holland of the Dunn/Holland team with Crown Realty agree. “Most clients want to step away from the city and have a little kingdom of their own,” Teresa says. “They want to be at least an hour away from the metro area,” Jim adds. 

Dana finds that her clients from the coasts are used to driving up to an hour or more to work each day. “We determine the number of miles, or minutes, that works best for them,” she says. 

There are other considerations to make, too. Buyers should determine whether a property offers paved roads, sewers, septic tanks and rural water. They must think about how much land they are willing to maintain. “The amount of time and effort it takes grass to grow is something that a lot of people don’t realize until they live out there,” Sarah says. 

Reliable internet—especially for individuals working from home—can be critical. “I currently live where there is no high-speed access, which makes it difficult to be efficient on the internet,” says custom home builder Bruce Rieke.

Popular Places 

Good access to grocery stores, work, children’s sporting events and churches are important. And school districts are a huge consideration. But Bruce cautions that areas with the best schools may also be more expensive. 

Blue Valley, Louisburg and Lee’s Summit schools are popular among Dana’s clients. So are properties in northern Miami County or south Johnson County, as well as Stilwell, Spring Hill, Bucyrus, Olathe and DeSoto. Brenda adds that western Shawnee offers some beautiful ground, too. Bruce and the Dunn/Holland team both see similar trends as well. 

Focusing on Leavenworth and some Wyandotte and Johnson County properties, Sarah says her clients are gravitating to Basehor, Tonganoxie and Piper. “For 60 percent or more of who we build for, the quality of the school district is always a consideration,” she notes. 

A Different Kind of Check List 

When buying raw land instead of a prepared lot, there are more items to check off. “Identify your overall budget,” Bruce says, “so you know it will cover all of the necessary requirements.” Increased distance from the home to the street or utility lines can increase costs. If the acreage is treed, with rough terrain or difficult access to a building site, costs may rise. 

Brenda recommends consulting an acreage-savvy builder to determine whether a property will accommodate water, utilities and septic. “When a property requires a septic system, a soils test may need to be done if a person is concerned about the cost,” Bruce explains. In addition, without a natural gas line, a buyer may have to use propane. 

Buyers must ensure that a water line will adequately supply the home and meet local jurisdiction and fire department requirements for water flow. They should also assess fire hydrant access—if one exists. “Water and electric are the two main things that have to be there,” Jim says. 

Dana uses land surveys to confirm property lines and to research flood plains. “We also consider mineral rights,” she says. “[Space] below ground may be owned by somebody else, so that owner can still place an oil well on the property.” 

Something else to think about? Determining who may subdivide a piece of property—and how that may have an impact on allowable home size—or livestock guidelines. It’s also important to learn about upcoming developments like industrial parks.