1. Where does the sun go?

This is the first thing we check, and almost the last thing most buyers think about. Stand on the lot and figure out where south is. In Maine, a home that opens generously to the south gets free heat and light for six cold months; a home forced to face north because of the driveway location fights the climate forever.

Look at the trees, the slope, the neighboring buildings. Is there anything blocking the low winter sun? Can the private outdoor spaces — a deck, a garden — face the light without facing the street? A lot that looks unremarkable in a listing photo can be wonderful if the orientation is right, and a "stunning" lot can be a lifelong compromise if it isn't.

2. What are you actually allowed to build?

Zoning determines more about your future home than most people realize: how far the house must sit from every property line, how tall it can be, how much of the lot it can cover, sometimes even what it can look like. Near lakes, rivers, and the coast — which in Maine is a lot of places — shoreland zoning adds another layer of rules about clearing, building size, and distance from the water.

Before making an offer, call the town's code enforcement office. Ask what's buildable, what's restricted, and whether there are any easements, rights-of-way, or deed covenants on the parcel. This phone call is free. Discovering a 100-foot setback after closing is not.

3. Where will the water go — in and out?

If the lot has no municipal sewer connection, you'll need a septic system, and not every soil can support one. A soil test (often called a perc test in older usage; in Maine, a site evaluator's assessment) tells you whether the ground can handle a conventional system or whether you'll need an engineered one that can add a surprising amount to your budget. Same question for drinking water: is there a public line, or will you drill a well — and what have neighboring wells found, and how deep?

Then there's the water you don't want. Walk the lot after a heavy rain if you can. Low spots, standing water, and that suspiciously lush green stripe across the middle of the parcel all tell you something about drainage — and about future foundation costs.

4. What will it cost to get to the house?

A long, beautiful driveway through the woods is a wonderful thing. It is also excavation, gravel, culverts, possibly ledge removal, plowing every winter, and a longer run for the power, water, and internet lines. We've seen "bargain" lots where site access and utilities quietly consumed the money that was supposed to buy better windows and a nicer kitchen.

Ask: how far is the buildable area from the road? Where's the nearest power pole? Is there three-phase or just single-phase power if you ever want a workshop? Is broadband actually available, or just "available" on the provider's map?

5. What's under your feet?

Maine sits on granite, and granite doesn't negotiate. Ledge near the surface can turn a routine foundation into a blasting project. On the other end of the spectrum, soft or filled ground can require engineered foundations. You can learn a lot from a few hundred dollars of test pits dug by a local excavator — and from simply asking neighbors what they hit when they built.

While you're at it, look at the slope. A gentle slope is often a gift: it makes walkout basements and interesting sections possible. A steep one is buildable too, but it moves money from the visible parts of the house to the invisible ones.

6. What's the neighborhood becoming — not just what it is?

That empty field next door feels like part of your view, but it belongs to someone. Check what the neighboring parcels are zoned for and whether anything is planned. Drive the road at 8 a.m. and again at 6 p.m. Visit on a Saturday. Listen. A lot that's peaceful on a Tuesday afternoon viewing can sit under a flight path, beside a gravel pit's truck route, or across from next year's subdivision.

The good news

Almost no lot is perfect, and it doesn't need to be. Slopes, odd shapes, tricky orientations — these constraints often produce the most interesting houses we've built. What matters is knowing the constraints before you commit, so they're design opportunities instead of budget surprises.

If you're weighing a piece of land right now, send us the listing. We're happy to take a look, walk it with you, and tell you honestly what we see — before you sign anything.