Some of this answer really depends on the laws in your city. Easements, how close to the lot line you can build, min/max foot print size that you can put on a specific lot, etc.

However - all that aside I can tell you that many achritects design the exterior in 4' increments to minimize waste. Assuming that you build a perfectly square house to minimize exterior size, but maximize interior space -- you are looking at a 2-story 40' by 40' home (total 3,200 sq ft).

Assuming a standard 2 car garage - you could easily put all of that on a standard 1/4 acre lot. If all you really want is the bare minimum house/garage and no yard... you could probably squeeze that house onto an 1/8th of an acre (50'x120'). But then you will probably have to be careful about zoning laws, easements, property line concerns, etc.

>>3000 to 3500 sg. ft. single story home with a three car garage D'Oh!

I Should have paid closer attention!

single story, 3 car garage...

A 3,000 + sq ft house would have a minimum exterior size of 56'x56' + garage (36'x24' ??).

Locally, most lots have a pretty standard width - 40' to 50'

assuming a plat with 45' width, you'll need at least 75' deptch for the house, plus another 30 or 40 feet for garage.

This will put you right around a quarter acre bare minimum. depedning on house position, driveway, utilities, how close you can build to the lot line, etc. -- you'll have to make your own calculations, but I am pretty confident that you can go as small as 1/3rd or even 1/4th an acre.

It also depends on if you'd be OK with a front entry garage, or a side or rear entry garage. Each has different requirements for turnaround spacing that also have to be taken into consideration when thinking about minimum lot sizes.

We are building in SW FL and most developments seem to have very narrow close lots of 50' x 100. Our home is 3100 sq ft and our lot is on a corner - so it's pie shape, but as a whole the development lots are 100 x 150 - which just seems so much nicer!

Thanks for all the input. Will try to locate something between 100 to 120 ft. max across the front and 150 to 170 deep. In the Tampa area, we are finding lots of that size with tear downs running in almost the 350 thousand to 1/2 million price range. That is not on the water. Once you get out of the city and in to the more undeveloped areas, prices drop, but we do not want to build in such areas. Thanks again for all the input. It is going to take some time to find that "special lot", but we are determined it will happen.

I'm surprised prices are still that high- real estate prices have taken a huge hit in the last year or so. Having lived in west central FL for the last 28 years, I would recommend a small lot. It's too hot to do a lot of yard work in the summer, and besides, you should be out at the beach/golf course/whatever rather than doing yard work!

sconti, we have lived here 14 years, and last year moved to TN - bought 50 acres for $200,000! We moved back 8 months ago - because of family, and couldn't find a house I really loved (hard to find one when I just finished building my dream home - a Don Gardner plan. We ended up buying a corner lot - just under 18,000 sq feet, and it does sit on a private lake (but we don't own the land in front of the lake) we paid a WHOPPING $270,000 for it. It's in Sarasota County. It was hard to swallow after our TN purchase. The other lots that are not 'premium' are starting at $150,000. Shocking... in 1999 we also built here with nice size lot - bought that one for $35,000. Things have changed here, that's for sure!

Wow....I bought 8 acres with a stream, 1/2 acre pond, woods with 150 yr old oaks, great views on all sides, on a paved road in Ohio Amish country for $37,500. My closest neighbor is 1/2 mile down the road and I have beavers in my pond and wild turkeys nesting in my woods.

Ohio winters can be brutal, but I guess for that difference in price, I can live with a little snow! ;-)

around here acreage in semi developed areas go for between 8-10k per acre. if you buy out inteh country and get part of a farmers field you cna get it for less than 1k per acres. MINIMUM to build or locate a manufactured home on now is 2 acres for septic 5 ACRES for a lagoon.

in my neighborhood the setbacks are 125 ft fromt eh road. i have a corner lot, so my house is 125 from the main road, 150 fromteh side road. good thing i have 4 acres! i mention this because you want to make sure you can even build the house you want onthe lot you purchase.

my ex and her current husband bought a lot and built their current house on it. at the time they started the build they were going to purchase the lot next to them as well. that fell thru and they ended up no being able to do a garage due to hitting the max size for the lot. they were able to do a carport, but they originally wanted a deep garage so they could park teh boat in it and still get the truck and car in.

if i were you i would get a GENERAL idea of what the exterior layout of your home would be. then shop for lots based on what will allow it and still give you a good location suitable to your needs.

if we lose our house to emminent domain for a new interstate, and it looks more like it every day, i will buy 10-12 acres way out in the middle of nowhere to build on.

" will buy 10-12 acres way out in the middle of nowhere to build on. "

That's exactly what we did. Lived on a golf course development in a suburb of Columbus for several years and got so sick of the traffic and the yuppies that I couldn't wait to get away from it all. Now, the only traffic I ever encounter on my peaceful commute on the backroads is the Amish dairy farmer down the road moving his cows across the road from their pasture to the barn to be milked twice a day. I get to stop, sip my morning coffee, and watch his faithful Border Collies herding the cows across the road. Best two minutes of my day!

mainecoonkitty... That does sound like a nice simple pleasure!

We have 32 acres and as long as we're healthy, it seems like it will be a joy.