Many people dream of having their own house in a cottage village built from high-quality and environmentally friendly materials. But when choosing a land lot for the building of the place where people are going to live permanently, a territory with a slope is rarely chosen.

Many people think that a house on a slope is something unusual. The reason for this is simple: potential buyers believe that the project of building a house on a hill will be complex and expensive. When choosing a land lot, people are most often frightened by the alleged difficulties associated with pouring a foundation on a slope.

Slope House Architecture

If you become the owner of a land lot on a slope, do not be upset. Of course, difficulties may arise in the process of building a house, but at the same time, the slope as a feature of the relief has many advantages.

It is actually even easier to erect a building on a previously prepared inclined surface than on a plain. At the very least, it’s much easier than building a property in a hollow. Living in a house on a slope is much more economical and convenient. A significant plus is that the owner of such housing does not have to get rid of the water because it will drain from the territory itself. Thus, floods are not terrible for such houses. It is enough to provide a path for the outflow of water so that it does not accumulate under the fence.

According to the practice of Feng Shui, such houses bring prosperity and good luck in business and contribute to family well-being. Given the property’s design on a slope, the owner can efficiently complete the basement.

Choosing a land lot for building a house is not easy, and it must be approached responsibly. The site must be carefully examined, and only after that can you decide on its purchase. You have to make sure it is possible to build in this area. The best option is a flat land lot, the development of which will not entail additional difficulties, but its cost will be pretty high. However, the uneven surface does not mean the site cannot be used for building.

Attention! The soil on the slope is most often unstable, so landslides are not ruled out in such areas. If you do not want to lose your home, carefully study the recommendations in this article.

Pros of a Site With a Slope

If you do not consider the difficulties that can arise when building a house on a slope, many advantages can be found in such a surface. When considering an offer to buy a plot on a hillside, first familiarize yourself with its pros and cons. You may change your initial opinion.

• Difficulties regarding sewerage do not threaten you. You will not need to spend money on pumping out waste; in the process of installing pipes, this issue will be resolved without your intervention. Due to the inclined surface, the liquid itself will flow through the pipes.
• On an inclined surface, you can build a house with unusual architecture.
• In addition to the house itself, you can install many unusual decor elements and build various additional buildings. The designer for such a site will find many exciting solutions.
• On a slope, a drainage stone is not required for the foundation. Water after rain will go away by gravity, while neither the house nor the paths will get wet. But for a safety net against flooding, you can still use drainage. By design, a house on a slope will be more straightforward than housing on a flat surface so the project cost will be significantly lower. Such savings will allow you to decorate the house from the inside at the highest level.
• For those who plan to engage in a garden or vegetable garden, a land lot on a slope is perfect. If you correctly place the plantings and break the territory into independent terraces, determining the irrigation schedule will not be difficult. Moisture-loving plants can be placed below, and those that do not need frequent watering can be placed above.

Cons of a Lot With a Slope

There are many advantages of a house on a slope, but there are some disadvantages that you must be prepared for in advance. Imperfections should not be a reason not to buy such land, but they may take some time to eliminate.

• First of all, the owner of the land should take care to prevent landslides. To do this, you need to strengthen the soil. Today there are enough ways to avoid landslides. The most common are terrace arrangement (terracing) and the installation of retaining walls at the very bottom of the land. These methods are pretty similar.
• Another issue is air temperature. As cold air sinks down, an object located on a slope can interfere with it. As a rule, the temperature near the house in the evening drops lower than in the surrounding area. To prevent this from happening, you can build a house on the highest point of the slope.
• The house must be located horizontally. For this, the foundation has to be dug in on one side to a greater depth than on the other. In this regard, one side is affected by groundwater. For this reason, part of the foundation needs additional insulation. In addition, this part of the house consumes less heat. If you properly position the drainage system, there will be no difficulties.
• As a rule, building companies offer many already prepared house designs that can be built on a flat area. For houses on a slope, projects are unique. In this regard, the preparation of an individual project will cost more. This is where the cons of homes on the hillside end.

Undoubtedly, in every house project, you can find both positive and negative sides in every house project. The facility’s building should be started only after thorough familiarization with the type of soil, slope features, and climatic conditions in the selected area.

What Foundation to Use

The basis of any house is the foundation, which can be completely invisible to others. Real estate’s reliability and service life depend on the foundation on which it is built. If the terrain is complex, it may be necessary to erect an asymmetric foundation in the process of building a house. This way out is optimal. For an uneven surface, the following types of foundation are suitable:

• Horizontal. This type is almost indistinguishable from a conventional foundation and is a standard design; however, to place it, it is necessary to level a large area on a slope. This will require building equipment since, in this case, it is necessary to remove most of the soil. This can entail serious financial costs since the passage of equipment requires the presence of a road and a ready site. 
• Stepped. For this type, it is not required to remove the soil, and it is enough just to install a strip foundation. In this case, the concrete substrate is located unevenly because the inclined surface does not provide other options. If you look at the stepped foundation in the section, it will be similar to cascades. In this case, there is little concrete at the top and more at the bottom. As a result, the surface becomes horizontal, which allows you to start building a house.
• Pile. It is optimal for building small houses for which frame technology is used. The process consists of that particular screw piles are screwed deep into the ground, thereby compacting the soil around. This does not require high financial costs because there is no need to contract technical means. The disadvantage, in this case, is that it will not work to build a basement or build a house with several floors.

Each option has advantages and disadvantages, so the choice must be approached by considering the specific situation. To do this, you need to accurately calculate what the expected load on the ground is, as well as analyze it. Much depends on the quality of the work performed by the builders.

List of Additional Works (Drainage, Slope Correction)

Undoubtedly, the foundation is the main component in the building of the house, but in addition to it, it is also necessary to strengthen and refine the slope itself. The same applies to terraces because the load on the ground is redistributed thanks to them. In addition, with the help of terraces, the land becomes less mobile. However, terraces must be protected from the influence of environmental factors. In order for the house to be completely safe, it is required to organize a water drainage system. To this end, the following should be ensured:

• A drainage system that contributes to the rapid drainage of rain and melt water, which can adversely affect the foundation and walls of the building. On a sloping surface, water quickly moves away from the object on its own. It is possible to regulate the process of its outflow by equipping a ditch parallel to the terrace retaining walls. Gravel is poured into the ditch itself. It is important to note that the ditch must be connected to a central drain that brings the water down;
• Strengthening the ground around the house. To do this, instead of soil, sand or concrete is poured;
• Consolidation of the ground outside the territory of the terraces with the help of reinforced geotextile grids;
• Creation of blind areas around the building. A 3.2-5 ft (1-1.5 m) wide concrete structure and approximately 5.9” (15 cm) thick.

We can give a whole list of activities that help strengthen the land and increase the level of the structural strength of the building. It is desirable to place the foundation in such a way that it is below the moving part of the soil. To determine its level, you should pay attention to the inclined trees or poles. Any work on building a house on a slope should be carried out by competent specialists who can analyze the soil correctly.

Undoubtedly, building a house on a slope can be difficult and time-consuming, but the result will be worth it. At the final stage, it will be apparent that you have become the owner of an unusual building that is different from all others. Everyone will be happy to have such a unique home. And if you approach the process of designing the territory creatively, then living in such a house will resemble a fairy tale.