Buying land - what to watch out for

It faces north

Yeah, unfortunately worst direction for energy efficiency.

Just your own garage.

Sure. But assuming bean1969 is looking at a typical volume build design, think of what rooms are at the front of the house. Bedrooms and maybe secondary living spaces. The main living areas where most of the daylight time will be spent (open plan kitchen, living, meals) are usually at the back of the house.

If planning a custom design it is likely the designer will still put main living areas in the back, then use courtyards, clerestory windows etc to get the north light into the back of the house. So yes it can be done, but it’s more costly.

bean1969 we don’t know what your block is like or even where it is, but as you are in a position to buy a vacant block of land, try looking for one that faces rear to north (-ish). I can guarantee you with a southfacing back, your living areas will be cold and dark in winter.

So true. Respectful discussion benefits everyone. To be fair though, the orientation topic comes up all the time - see all the threads re “feedback on house plan” . Plenty of people have posted long detailed answers (@Bashworth is def one). And sometimes the OP doesn’t come back to respond. Because of that, it’s easier to post a single line to ascertain if the OP is even interested before launching into a long post!

Additionally, bean1969, getting a map of any easements, services etc is certainly a good idea. As you probably know, you can’t build over easements, and services you may have to spend extra to protect them (can’t remember the technical term for this!)