Another huge factor in planning a house is the preparation of the lot. This is the part that sometimes gets short-changed in planning. It's like painting a room -- it takes more time to tape off the windows, remove the switch plates and wash the walls than to paint. Consequently, I just usually move to the fun part and well... that's why I don't paint for a living.

OK, lot preparation. Numero uno is to have a survey or to be darn sure you know where the property corners are located. Only a surveyor (The Expert) can tell you for sure where your corners are. Manzanita requires recent survey information in order to give a building permit. Neahkahnie does not require a survey at all! This is terrible planning policy! Get a survey or have your corners found and flagged by a licensed surveyor.

You need to plan for how your home is going to sit on the lot, where you are going to get your water, sewer lines and power. Don't assume that any of the services are there even if you see homes on both sides of you. Each could have brought the power up from a different direction. Contact the utility experts PUD to see where your power will come from; Contact Nehalem Bay Wastewater to see where you will hook into the sewer; contact the source for your water to see where you can hook in. If a sewer line runs above your toilet line (for instance, in the street behind you), you will need to pump up to the sewer line.

We cannot advise you strongly enough to get expert help with these very important preparations for building your home. Do-it-yourselfing or ignoring the issues can be the most costly and heart-breaking mistake of all.

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