Whether you’re building your first home here or selling your first home and building a newer one, you’ll need to consider the multiple variables that come with buying the land.
Maui is approximately 727 square miles, or 48 miles long and 26 miles wide. The land is limited, so you’ll need to carefully consider several variables, and how they will impact your construction, your final product, and your everyday living situation.
Of course, the first question is: where do you want to live in Maui? Do you want to live in the Upcountry, with rural towns, homesteads, agricultural land, trade winds, and a bi-coastal view? What about East Maui, with lush green areas in a tropical rainforest including Hana, one of the most towns on the Valley Isle? Each part of Maui has its own unique characteristics that can make or break your project.
Buying Your Land
In a place like Maui, you’ll need to know exactly what you’re buying before you begin the process. Even though Maui is relatively small when compared to US cities, its limited availability and microclimates make a big difference in the end state of a new home-building project.
Location is your first consideration, and another is the size of the lot. Will the land accommodate what you have in mind? Will you be able to build what you want there?
You’ll also need to know how the property is zoned. Is it residential, rural, or agricultural? The zoning will determine what type of building and development you can or can’t do on a particular parcel of land. If you’re planning a single-family residence, you may be fine. But if you decide to add an ohana, also called an “accessory dwelling,” the rules change. You’ll have limitations on how many and the size which depend on the size of the lot.
There may also be a homeowner’s association (HOA) involved in the area. You’ll need to know this before buying so that you understand the rules and how they impact your plans.
If the land you’re considering is called CPR, or Condominium Property Regime, this means the land you’re considering requires you to buy into a partnership with one or more owners. You may have rights to all or part of the main house or any ohanas or none. The land stays in a single parcel for legal and taxation purposes but is jointly owned by more than one party who builds on their own parcel. Like an HOA, there are likely rules about what you can and can’t do, in addition to zoning and building codes.
Utility Availability
The practical side of your new home site includes utilities and everyday amenities, such as:
• Electricity—will you be able to connect to the grid with underground lines? Or is the land far enough off-grid that you will have to install your own power generation?
• Internet service—with more people working from home, Internet service is a must. Can you get fiber optic service, or will you have to settle for satellite Internet? You should know this before you purchase land so you know what’s available.
• Phone service—while many people have cell phones now, there are spots without reception. You may have to drive a distance for coverage. This may necessitate a landline, but you’ll also need to make sure you can get a landline installed.
• Sewer systems—septic tanks are common in Maui, and you will need to know if you’ll need one or if there is a system you can connect into. You’ll also need to make sure the land is big enough to handle an entire septic system.
• The Post Office—there are some areas of Maui with no mail, FedEx, or UPS service. Buying land in one of these areas will require a post office box, either with USPS or from a private mailbox vendor.
• Trash and garbage collection—if the area doesn’t have trash pickup, it’s possible that you will have to visit the landfill in Central Maui to dispose of your household refuse.
• Water—is there a city or private water, or will you be required to install a catchment system for your own consumption?
It’s important to know what’s available, what isn’t, and what kind of options you have for the area where you’re choosing to build.
Let Pro Draft Design Your Next Building Project
Pro Draft has been helping bring ideas to life in Maui for 30 years. We’re ready to help with drawings, interior design, “green design” with LEED certification, project management, and permit expeditions.
We can help with architecture, drawings, blueprints, and permits, and answer all your questions before the first day of construction. We’re happy to help and will work to ensure your project is exactly the way you envision.
Call Pro Draft today at (808) 579-9050 or 1-800-499-4699 from the Mainland
