One of the first steps in the construction cycle is finding the most perfect piece of land possible. We would therefore like to give you a few pieces of advice for this important decision.
The essentials in brief:
- Not only the personal lifestyle and the current living situation, but also the supply of social infrastructure, the connection to the transport network and social and structural aspects of the environment play a central role in the choice of the right property.
- In order to avoid unforeseen problems and unexpected costs, it is worth finding out in detail about the condition of the building land in advance.
- A look at the development plan provides information about whether and in what form the property can be built on.
Know your desires!
What the perfect piece of land for your home looks like is entirely up to you. Therefore, you should think carefully in advance about what the place where you want to live for the next few years has to have to offer. At least as important: Which properties are negotiable and what are the absolute no-gos for you? You can then use this key data to start your targeted search.
What properties should you be aware of for this? First of all, the so-called “micro-factors” of a suitable plot of land should not be underestimated. This includes any disruptive factors in the environment (power poles, noise, electrosmog, etc.) and other components, such as the orientation of the garden. It can be very trivial things that spoil the fun of owning your own home: a tree that shades the future terrace, a noisy neighbor or an endless construction site next door.
Where do you want to live?
This question depends very much on your life situation and your lifestyle. Perhaps you prefer a location where “life rages” and leisure activities are available at all times of the day and night. You may need to be well connected in terms of infrastructure so that your children do not have to go too far to kindergarten or school. The accessibility of medical facilities, on the other hand, can be of fundamental importance in old age. You may also prefer a quiet area with a large garden and lots of nature just around the corner. Basically, of course, the following applies: the more decentralized the location, the cheaper the building site. You should also consider social factors: A mature residential area offers a culturally consolidated and authentic structure. Young families, on the other hand, often find a particularly large number of like-minded people in new development areas.
Ask questions to avoid nasty surprises
Ask questions and keep your eyes and ears open to identify any problems on the property that could be a knockout criterion for you or drive up your costs significantly: How stable and level is the subsoil? Is there a groundwater level and is a basement even possible? Has the property already been developed and electricity, gas and the road connected, or will there still be costs in this regard? Is the soil possibly contaminated? Until when can the property be built on? Here you can find out more about soil reports and subsoil investigations .
Observe development plans
While researching the legal characteristics of your property may be tedious, it is absolutely necessary to ensure the viability of your building project. A development plan regulates basic information such as the number of floors down to the smallest details such as the permissible roof pitch. It is not uncommon for the development plan itself to pose a major challenge. In order to avoid nasty surprises during the construction project, it helps to take a look at our instructions on how to read and understand the development plan .
A very fundamental question is whether the property is building land at all or just “expected building land”. The difference couldn’t be bigger: You may not (yet) build on land that is expected to be developed, even if there is a high probability that the possibility of building will be regulated in the future. Also important: Area is not the same as construction area. The decisive factor for this is the “footprint number” shown in the development plan, which indicates what percentage of the area may be built over at all.
If the development plan does not yet contain any information about the legal admissibility of a house, you can and should submit a legally binding preliminary building application to the building regulations office before purchasing the property. Be as specific as possible about your building project. In addition, you should contact the municipality to find out whether there are any contaminated sites or third-party rights to your potential property.
Current offers for properties in your search area can be found in internet portals, daily newspapers, regional gazettes, building authorities and the bank around the corner. Some construction companies also offer you help in finding a plot of land. If you heed our advice, you will surely take the first crucial hurdle to owning your own home.