If you’re considering buying land to build your dream home, where do you begin? That’s a question a lot of buyers have. You can just (or maybe you can) go out and say I want that piece of dirt right there and think it’s going to be easy to build your new house every time. If you are looking at Charleston SC, here is where you’d start. There are many very important factors that one needs to consider before pulling the trigger on a home site or some land in SC. Here this page will break down all the nuances, risks, and factors real estate buyers looking to purchase land lots, agricultural hunting land, and developed homesites in Charleston SC & South Carolina (or anywhere) should know going into it.
MLS Listings Data
| Total Listings: | 1106 |
| Average Price: | $630,050 |
| Highest Listing Price: | $25,000,000 |
| Average Days On Market: | 312 |
| Average Price/SqFt: | - |
What's YOUR Home Worth?
Amazing opportunity to own 4 parcels of land, 3 adjoining and 1 across the street, just minutes up the road from The Wyboo Golf Club. These vacant residential lots total 6.67 acres.Individual lot sizes are as follows:-0.78ac-0.85ac-2.66ac-2.38ac
Serenity awaits. Large lot with existing dock on tidal water in Longcreek Plantation, a private community of 49 estate sized properties. This property offers more than 4 acres providing you with ample room to design the home of your dreams with breathtaking views of the creek and the marsh. Enjoy living on the water and taking your boat or kyack out the creek to the river. Fish from your dock and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.The community allows horses and has numerous riding trails as well as a boat ramp and community dock. Utilities are underground and electrcity should be at the street ready to be connected and run to the property. Lot will require a septic system and a well. Come see how lovely life here can be.
Beautiful 1 acre lot with mature trees that add privacy to the yard, partially fenced in, large concrete driveway with ample parking for multiple vehicles as well as a sidewalk leading to the backyard. There is a gazebo shelter/ patio area that was part of the original estate- notice the brick fireplace, brick floor and partially screened in area. There is a lot of rubble left at the site and brickwork from what used to be a home that was destroyed by fire- please use caution and keep off that area. Build your new home here and enjoy the convenience of being within the town of Andrews, only blocks from Main Street close to grocery stores, restaurants, shopping, schools etc. City water, sewer and electric are available for hook up. The lot is two parcels together
Amazing opportunity to own 4 parcels of land, 3 adjoining and 1 across the street, just minutes up the road from The Wyboo Golf Club. These vacant residential lots total 6.67 acres.Individual lot sizes are as follows:-0.78ac-0.85ac-2.66ac-2.38ac
Serenity awaits. Large lot with existing dock on tidal water in Longcreek Plantation, a private community of 49 estate sized properties. This property offers more than 4 acres providing you with ample room to design the home of your dreams with breathtaking views of the creek and the marsh. Enjoy living on the water and taking your boat or kyack out the creek to the river. Fish from your dock and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.The community allows horses and has numerous riding trails as well as a boat ramp and community dock. Utilities are underground and electrcity should be at the...
Beautiful 1 acre lot with mature trees that add privacy to the yard, partially fenced in, large concrete driveway with ample parking for multiple vehicles as well as a sidewalk leading to the backyard. There is a gazebo shelter/ patio area that was part of the original estate- notice the brick fireplace, brick floor and partially screened in area. There is a lot of rubble left at the site and brickwork from what used to be a home that was destroyed by fire- please use caution and keep off that area. Build your new home here and enjoy the convenience of being within the town of Andrews, only...
WATERFRONT LOTSVIEW LIST LAKE MURRAYVIEW LIST GATED COMMUNITIESVIEW LIST HUNTING / AGRICULTURALVIEW LIST BEACHFRONTVIEW LIST
TYPES OF LOTS
The most popular kind of home site these days. If you’re wanting to build in a PUD (planned unit development) or in layman’s terms a traditional lot & block neighborhood with rules and regs usually you’re going to be ok with most of the lots for sale, as it is customary for the developer to have organized and planned out every detail for you. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some other factors you should look into (or your agent). HOAs can be a nightmare too. 
- Wooded Lot
- Corner Lot
- Cul-de-sac
One of the biggest factors to consider when buying a lot here in the Charleston SC area (and all of the coastal regions of SC) is the grade or the land’s “levelness” if you will, with the surrounding land so that it is flat and not below the rest. As you’ll see in the graphic to the right, there are many ponds shown. That’s because when the surrounding land around you is at or just above sea level as is the case with coastal areas, developers have to account for all the rain runoff, and they do this by making retention ponds. Some listing agents will say a lot is “waterfront” or “pond front”, and it maybe be. However, it is actually just a required retention pond dug for fill dirt and rainwater. If you buy a lot that is near wetlands or is below grade it might cost you $15,000 in dirt just to bring the lot to grade, and level with the surrounding land. So you don’t want to buy it seeing trees, and brush only to find out after the lot has been cleared you can’t start building until you’ve spent thousands of $$ dumping truckloads of fill dirt. It might be better just to buy a lot that is already high enough or been brought up to grade.
The three types of lots above are just common examples of what you’ll find regularly in SC. Obviously, you could have a corner wooded lot. Wooded just means it’s not on waterfront or lakefront, and the seller’s agent is conveying to the buyer that you’re in a more “foresty” type community. You’ll have to have the lot cleared of trees as well. In terms of desirability, that’s really up to the people buying it and what’s important to them. If you have small children or plan to, then those people usually want something in the back of the neighborhood on a dead-end road, or cul-de-sac. Corner lots are desirable to some because some people don’t want neighbors near, or want two ways to drive onto their property. Corner lots tend to be the more expensive when buying in development because most people like the idea of having the ability for ingress & egress from two sides of the property and not having neighbors on the sides. Then again, there are also people who don’t like the idea of having cars coming and going on both sides of them.
MLS Listings Data
| Total Listings: | 69 |
| Average Price: | $1,022,570 |
| Highest Listing Price: | $6,900,000 |
| Average Days On Market: | 283 |
| Average Price/SqFt: | - |
What's YOUR Home Worth?
The drone pics of this property show the beauty and potential for a private residence, your own secluded retreat in the heart of Mt Pleasant. With a raised home, built on piers, you will enjoy the amazing views of the Intercoastal Waterway with Hamlin Sound and potentially the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. This raw land, with no HOA, is a blank canvas for your Coastal Dream Home. No minimum build requirments and No Architechural comittee to approve your new home plans! The entire right side of the property is lined by marsh and a creek that whinds its way through the marshland. You will enjoy Nature and Wildlife, in abundance, that is native to the Lowcountry. There may be potential for a crabbing dock or Kayak launch. Either would need to be approved by OCRM and a permit issued to build
One of last two remaining home sites in Edwards Place, the last infill development taking place in the Old Village area.Work with builder to design your custom home. Located in the Old Village / Old Mt Pleasant Area, Edwards Place is In walking distance to the areas top schools, shops and waterfront parks. The development consists of 10 home sites surrounding a private one acre park with walking trail and community gathering area. All homes are custom built with full input from the client with private swimming pools and two car garages as an option.
Opportunity to build on last of two remaining lots in Edwards Place, Old Mt Pleasant's last infill subdivision. Work with one of areas top builders to design and build a true custom home.
GREAT BUY!!! This .46 acre lot is situated in the convenient neighborhood of Remley's Park! Remley's Park is part of the historical, Scanlonville neighborhood and is a short distance to downtown and all that Mount Pleasant has to offer! This creek and marsh front community is full of live oaks with Spanish moss draping from its branches. The setting of this lot and the beautiful views of the marsh will make the ideal spot for your new home to be built! This community also features a historical park, a community boat landing, and the Remley Point Cemetery which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This community offers easy and quick access to shopping, restaurants, and Mt Pleasant Schools.
Located less than a half mile from the banks of the spectacular Hamlin Sound, a new opportunity makes its appearance for the first time in Mount Pleasant. A spacious half acre lot, cleared and level, surrounded by beautiful oaks. Excellent location close to shopping, dining, schools and all of Mount Pleasant's fantastic amenities. Less than 15 minutes to the beach at Isle of Palms. No HOA. No architectural review board. No build time requirements. Build a home that suits you and live how you wish!
Quiet and secluded .46 of an acre parcel in sought after Copahee View in Mt. Pleasant. Parcel sits at the end of a cut-de-sac, bordering a wooded creek. City water & Sewer available. Build your custom home or place a mobile home on the property. This lot has unlimited potential. Just around the corner from the Sound, there is a community boat landing. Copahee View offers an optional / voluntary HOA membership if desired. HOA not mandatory. The lot is mostly cleared. This is the lowest priced lot for square footage in this community.
The drone pics of this property show the beauty and potential for a private residence, your own secluded retreat in the heart of Mt Pleasant. With a raised home, built on piers, you will enjoy the amazing views of the Intercoastal Waterway with Hamlin Sound and potentially the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. This raw land, with no HOA, is a blank canvas for your Coastal Dream Home. No minimum build requirments and No Architechural comittee to approve your new home plans! The entire right side of the property is lined by marsh and a creek that whinds its way through the marshland. You will...
One of last two remaining home sites in Edwards Place, the last infill development taking place in the Old Village area.Work with builder to design your custom home. Located in the Old Village / Old Mt Pleasant Area, Edwards Place is In walking distance to the areas top schools, shops and waterfront parks. The development consists of 10 home sites surrounding a private one acre park with walking trail and community gathering area. All homes are custom built with full input from the client with private swimming pools and two car garages as an option.
Opportunity to build on last of two remaining lots in Edwards Place, Old Mt Pleasant's last infill subdivision. Work with one of areas top builders to design and build a true custom home.
GREAT BUY!!! This .46 acre lot is situated in the convenient neighborhood of Remley's Park! Remley's Park is part of the historical, Scanlonville neighborhood and is a short distance to downtown and all that Mount Pleasant has to offer! This creek and marsh front community is full of live oaks with Spanish moss draping from its branches. The setting of this lot and the beautiful views of the marsh will make the ideal spot for your new home to be built! This community also features a historical park, a community boat landing, and the Remley Point Cemetery which is listed on the National...
Located less than a half mile from the banks of the spectacular Hamlin Sound, a new opportunity makes its appearance for the first time in Mount Pleasant. A spacious half acre lot, cleared and level, surrounded by beautiful oaks. Excellent location close to shopping, dining, schools and all of Mount Pleasant's fantastic amenities. Less than 15 minutes to the beach at Isle of Palms. No HOA. No architectural review board. No build time requirements. Build a home that suits you and live how you wish!
Quiet and secluded .46 of an acre parcel in sought after Copahee View in Mt. Pleasant. Parcel sits at the end of a cut-de-sac, bordering a wooded creek. City water & Sewer available. Build your custom home or place a mobile home on the property. This lot has unlimited potential. Just around the corner from the Sound, there is a community boat landing. Copahee View offers an optional / voluntary HOA membership if desired. HOA not mandatory. The lot is mostly cleared. This is the lowest priced lot for square footage in this community.
LOT SHAPES
The shape and size of a lot can also be a considerable factor when you’re looking to purchase “dirt” for building a home. In the case above where you’re looking to buy in a PUD, the builder/developers have already subdivided tracts of land such that it maximizes their profitability. They don’t usually take the shape of the lot into much consideration, and they design out the neighborhood to make sure they: One – get county and city building and zoning approval, and Two so they can sell as many homes as possible.
Obviously the shape of the lot will vary based on the shape and size of the land that has been developed, how the roads have been cut, sidewalks, the requirements of the city, easements, and appurtenances, etc., but above are the most generic common shapes you’ll find. Obviously, when building a home on a pie-shaped lot they will be on a cul-de-sac, AND it can be tricky for an architect to design (depending on size) is something to consider.
COMMON GLOSSARY OF TERMS TO KNOW WHEN CONSIDERING BUYING DIRT/LAND/LOT
- Setbacks – The amount of required space your property must be away from another home, the road etc. is the minimum distance which a building or other structure must be set back from a street or road, a river or other stream, a shore or flood plain, or any other place which is deemed to need protection.
- Easement – is a legal right to use another’s land for a specific limited purpose. In other words, when someone is granted an easement, he is granted the legal right to use the property, but the legal title to the land itself remains with the owner of the land. This usually mostly applies to things like city / neighborhood drainage easements, and utilities.
- HOA – As mentioned above if you buy a lot to build a home in a PUD you’re going to have a Home Owners Assoc. which is going to have rules and regulations you HAVE to adhere to as part of the neighborhood. If you don’t can result in fines and hassle. For this reason, many people do not like PUDs.
- Regime Fees – Very similar to HOA fees (mainly just a legal name difference) in many instances, if your neighborhood has amenities, common areas etc.. there will be fees due often times at closing, monthly or quarterly to maintain and pay for those items.
- Building Restrictions – if you purchase a lot in a PUD where the developer is just selling lots and not also building homes – PUDs, city or county will have rules and restrictions that your home design must adhere to or not do. So ask for a copy of the building codes BEFORE buying the lot. Especially, if you already have architectural drawings completed or a home plan you want to use.
LAND LOT SALES TRENDS FOR CHARLESTON SC
Above is a three-year graph of the number of land lot listings sold in the Charleston SC region year over year since 2016.
FLOOD RISK
Here is Charleston SC, which is much different from some of our state’s other major markets of Columbia (Midlands), and Greenville/Spartanburg (Upstate) flooding is a regular way of life that one must consider when owning or buying real estate in the low-country. Coastal areas such as: Sullivan’s Island, Hilton Head, Pawley’s Island, Edisto, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, Isle of Palms, and all of Charleston SC people have to always consider the floor risk. Especially if you’re looking to buy a waterfront property then building your house off the ground is a must. Virtually all the land near the coast of South Carolina will be close to or at sea level, and although direct hits from hurricanes, believe it or not, are rare, the tidal surge is not as rare. With high tides and deluges of rain from tropical storms, you have to have flood insurance in most instances even if you’re in an X zone which technically doesn’t require it. It is still smart.
