Block selection - what do you consider

Apart from the block size and any easement etc that may have an impact on choice. Is there anything that stands out in your selection of a block.

I ask as I currently live in a house that has 7 adjoining neighbours and although not to be anti-social am considering a corner block to gain a greater sense of space. One thing that worries me though is that these tend to be the last ones to sell in most releases of land. Am I missing something here? Is it because of noise or security or maybe something else?

Cons:
Corner blocks have to deal with traffic noise from two sides.
As part of building convenant may have to build house that has suffiently nice facade on two sides which can cost more money than house that just has one side facing a street.
House positioning will have to take into account how far houses are back from the road on both streets.

Pros:
Dual access from both streets can be possible.

I would definitely get a builder to do rough concept on a specific corner block before you purchase to see if you can fit the house you want with desired backyward before you purchase, though I would recommend this for everyone, not just people looking at corner blocks.

Another thing to consider is block shape/orientation. I'm currently looking at land but want something with a large northern exposure, so as to minimise east/west windows and maximise winter solar gain. Problem is most blocks are north/south facing with a narrow width which makes it hard to find something suitable. Makes me really angry when all the onus is on us to meet 6 star energy reqs and build efficiently when 90% of the land being sold is totally unsuitable for the above requirements.

Also find out if there is any fill on the block which should be detailed on engineering plans. Fill on a block can add significantly to your site costs.

I currently live on a corner block and love it. Our block is not on a busy road and it means we have more privacy and no shadowing from next door.

Also consider the slope of the block. It can cost a lot more to build on a steep slope

I would say Shape and slope is the main thing that I am thinking of surely when u are in a tight budget like me price is another thing i need to consider. About easement honestly we didn't think too much a lot of blocks have sewer line in the front or back of the blocks.

We was worry about the substation in our back yard in the beginning. But after some research there is very safe for us to live in there they prove that is less harm than putting mobile phone next to your head. And for the valuation it didn't affect anything at all even from the bank.

We are pretty happy to have a corner block. as we only need to deal with 2 neighbours and as buildingwest said less shadow cover by next doors. As long as you are not picking a busy road there won't be a lot of cars so it won't be too noise too.

And one more thing, normally corner block is slightly cheaper too. In my estate on my release almost all the corner block gone in the first day of release. Where are you looking?

Aside from the reasons mentioned above, here's another bit of food for thought.

I have only ever seen two walls smashed in by a wayward vehicle in my neighborhood, both were corner blocks. This has occurred in the last 15 years though.

I was under the impression that land rates were higher on corner blocks??
Also remember you will be responsible for 100% of the cost of fencing on the road side.
Although I can certainly see the appeal of a corner block.
Good luck.

Why we chose our block:
- wide frontage
- close to the start of estate (no speed humps & easy access in and out)
- almost rectangular block (0.5m wider at the front)
- Biggest on our street

In our estate I feel we got a really good block but been stage 1 we had a good choice.

Other things to consider:
Can build with north facing living areas
An outlook or view is nice

Another thing to consider if you are in an estate is where the block is in relation to any parks etc. if you have kids.
Our estate has a park at the top and a sporting field is in development down the bottom. If you want to be close to either of these the blocks are more expensive, so we chose a block in the middle (easy walk to either), and our big 1069m2 block was cheaper or equal in price to some of the small blocks right next to the park.

I don't know how I feel about corner blocks
You see one of the things that stops me from considering a corner block is the council setback when you're building a new house, let me clarify this:
I live in Sydney metro, so most blocks are rectangular . Most councils in Sydney require front setbacks of about 5 to 6 meres and side boundries of about 1m to 1 and a half metres BUT for corner blocks depending on their location ( whether quiet street or busy one ) tend to ask for a side boundry of about 3m therefore restricting the design you want because of the width or frontage you have left to build on.
So maybe before you go ahead & pay a deposit on any corner block, give your local town planner a call & discuss this issue, I hope this helps.

And you are responsible for mowing the lawn on both sides of the nature strip.

And in your house design, make sure the backyard & living/family/rumpus/study rooms are facing north to gain maximum sun light, and the bedrooms are not on the street side to reduce the noise impact. As long as it's not on a busy/noisy street, corner block is good for me.

Looks like springtime has the answer that was of greatest concern to me and confirmed by mirvac today.

Side blocks need to have a greater setback meaning your standard 15m wide block can only really accommodate a house about 11m wide. May need to either reconsider my choice of design or block.

robbie55 please don't despair,

I didn't mean to put you off corner blocks .
You will find that most builders have designs specifically suited for corner blocks, so it might be worth your while to go to some builders & have a look.