Posted on
January 11, 2023
by
Charlene Anderson
Buyers look at vacant land as a great way to get started in Lake Country and at times have misconceptions about how they can use the property. This blog will outline the things you need to consider if you plan on purchasing vacant land for the purposes of putting an RV on it.
Lake Country is home too many listings featuring vacant land that vary in size and location. Many of these properties are located in rural subdivisions or Summer Villages and at first glance look like an affordable place to land an RV.
Vacant land may already have services on it like power, water supply, septic tanks, or out buildings.
So it begs the question can I simply buy a lot to put my RV on?
There are many considerations:
Restrictive Covenants: These documents are in place and supersede the local development permit application. Properties where restrictive covenants are in place set minimum standards for building size or appearance. These restrictive covenants cannot be removed from the title and remain in force regardless of when they were written. This can have a serious effect on your lot purchase.
Easements/Encroachments: A lot may have an easement or encroachment agreement on title. These agreements may allow for shared driveway access, or items that might be partially on municipal land or an adjoining property.
Utility Right of Ways: There are utility companies that may have to come on the property to service their product. A very common one is natural gas companies.
Summer Villages: Lake Country is home too many Summer Villages. These villages are a collection of properties that have adopted a set of bylaws and provide a variety of services (garbage removal, sewer services, road maintenance, etc) These Villages for the most part have bylaws in place that do not allow for RV’s to be placed on properties as a primary residence.
Water: You have to determine a source of water for your lot. You can drill a well or have a cistern. There are several new water supply depots in Lake Country that allow you to haul your own water to your property.
Septic: You will need to a system in place to remove sewage. You can install a tank or have septic services onsite. There are RV dump stations in the area as well.
Power: It is becoming much more difficult to get power permit for a lot that only will have an RV on it. An electrical permit is part of a complete development permit application. Other options are solar and batteries.
Natural Gas: Natural Gas is available for the most part at the property line and can be brought onto you lot for a cost. The alternative heat source is propane.
Accessibility: Most lots are accessible by using public roads, some properties are in gated communities, and others may have private access roads that would be part of the title with an easement agreement.
It’s not as simple as buying a piece of land and simply parking an RV on it. Buying property for this type of use requires a thorough investigation and understanding of the various areas and rules. Having a local expert familiar with the area is a great asset.
While this may seem like there are no options available there are RV friendly areas in Lake Country. Give us a shout at 780-991-5107 or contact us a info@edmontonlakeproperty.com
