If you’re thinking about buying property to build your custom home design in Asheville or the surrounding areas, you’llhave a lot to consider in determining where to buy. Brock Builders wants nothing more than to make things a bit easier for you in your search, so we’re happy to share with you some basic information about what to expect in the following locations: Asheville, Weaverville, Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Arden, Hendersonville, Leicester, and Candler.

While there are many things to consider when looking for land to purchase for a custom home design, this article will specifically focus on what to expect from the geographical location you choose – the culture/demographic, size, and general cost of land compared to the surrounding areas. If you’re interested in learning more about specific details to consider regarding whether or not the intended property is suitable for your building desires, make sure to check out our post on this topic here.

Asheville

Asheville is a wonderful city. It’s small enough to feel comfortable, but large enough to avoid getting bored. If you’re thinking about buying land in Asheville, you can expect it to be generally more expensive than any of the other surrounding areas we will discuss in this article. Also, another thing to note is that Airbnb properties are no longer allowed in the Asheville city limits. Aside from these facts, you can expect lots of great food, people, and activities when living in Asheville city proper. Your taxes will also be slightly higher, so make sure to factor that into your costs, as well.

Weaverville

Weaverville is only about 10 minutes north of Asheville. While still close to the city, you’ll feel tucked away in nature in this sweet little oasis. With the smallest population of all of Asheville’s surrounding areas, Weaverville boasts its own happening little downtown and has close access to the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can expect to pay middle of the road prices for land in this town.

Swannanoa

Slightly east of Asheville – about 10-15 minutes – is the quaint little town of Swannanoa. Swannanoa is home to Warren Wilson College, a small private farm school that started in the late 1800s. While there are several shops, restaurants, and bars, Swannanoa does not have a “downtown” per se, and is a bit more neglected in certain areas. However, there are still plenty of beautiful locations to consider buying land here, and likely a more affordable option than the other areas discussed.

Black Mountain

Black Mountain is a beautiful small town with charm right out of a Hallmark movie. Slightly further east of Swannanoa, Black Mountain is about a 20 minute drive to downtown Asheville. While there are many retirees that live here, it has also become a very family-friendly town and receives many tourists each year. Black Mountain has a very small, walkable, and happening downtown. You can expect to pay middle of the road prices in this area compared to the others.

Arden

Arden is about 10-15 minutes south of Asheville and is about as populated as Black Mountain, Swannanoa, and Weaverville combined. Arden is more metropolitan and is home to many great restaurants and breweries. Younger families and professionals tend to live in the area, and you can expect to pay middle to upper range prices for land here.

Hendersonville

Hendersonville is a modest split between your very small and larger towns with a population size of about 14,000. However, don’t be fooled by the size. Hendersonville has an awesome downtown area with many things to do for all ages to enjoy. Just a 35 minute drive south of Asheville, you may not even miss coming into the city, and find everything you need right here in town! You can expect to find land for a bit cheaper here in Henderson County as opposed to Buncombe County, where the remainder of the places mentioned in this article are located.

Leicester

While Leicester is very rural with lots of beautiful farmland, you may be surprised to learn that it has a population size of approximately 20,000, about the same as Arden. Leicester is about 15 minutes northwest of Asheville and you can expect to find some very affordable property here compared to some of the surrounding locations. Leicester has no downtown and you may find yourself needing to drive into the city more for activities and supplies.

Candler

Candler is about 20 minutes west of Asheville and has the second highest population after Asheville. You definitely get more of a country feel living out in Candler and can expect cheaper prices for your land as a result. While Candler has no real downtown area, it is home to several shops, restaurants, and even breweries, so you might not need to travel too far to get what you need.

Happy Hunting

We hope that this synopsis has been helpful to you in considering where to start looking for land for your custom home development. We’d be happy to help you with any questions you might have, and look forward to hearing from you regarding any of your Asheville house designs.