3

A vacant (land) lot is a lot without any building built on it. What is a name of a lot with a building (of any kind) built on that?

Can I name it an occupied lot?

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

I think an occupied lot sounds really weird, because lots are invariably vacant (there are only 273 instances of OP's version in the Google Books link there, compared to 1,820,000 for a vacant lot).

And per Tom Au's comment to Jim's answer, improved is more evocative of the Monopoly board game. It's also worth noting that the vast majority of written references to improved land seem to be in relation to agricultural land, where the term is defined here as...

Improved land includes all land regularly tilled or mowed, land in pasture which has been cleared or tilled, land lying fallow, land in gardens, orchards, vineyards, and nurseries, and land occupied by farm buildings.

I'd advise OP to call his one a developed site (12,900 written instances there).

EDIT: It's worth noting that not only has an improved lot never had any real currency in the UK...

enter image description here

...but it's also being replaced by a developed site over recent decades in the US...

enter image description here

Improve this answer
2
  • And yet there are organizations such as LICA Land Improvement Contractors of America, and it's what the IRS uses: Land improvements include swimming pools, paved parking areas, wharves, docks, bridges, and fences.
    – Jim
    Commented Jul 30, 2013 at 14:58
  • 1
    @Jim: I'm not arguing against usages such as land improvement (or the exceptionally common home improvement). I'm just saying that (in the UK, at least) we wouldn't normally refer to anything as an improved lot.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Jul 30, 2013 at 19:48
5

The term is improved.

Home building and containment [are] two of the most common improvements.

Home building pertains to anything from a house made of all stone, or a shack made of sticks. Containment consists of items such as walls, fences, roads, paths and gates.

Improve this answer
1
  • "Improved" is the term used in Monopoly.
    – Tom Au
    Commented Jul 29, 2013 at 16:17

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .