How to buy a building plot?

Buying a building plot for a residential property is quite a challenge. It requires much more care than buying a flat or a ready-made house. In today's article we suggest what to look out for, so as not to lose out on this investment and to choose the best land for yourself.

When deciding to buy land on which to build a house, we should be guided not only by a low price but also by other aspects. The most important include an attractive location with easy access to the city centre, school or work. Travel should be considered not only by car but also by suburban transport. The legal status of the land is also very important, as is its designation, that is, information about what kind of building can be put up there. There are many catches. So let us verify the information received from the seller against the relevant documents, so that after the transaction it does not turn out that building a house is not possible.

Plot size

This is definitely one of the more important questions to consider before buying. To build a detached house we need land with an area of at least 700 sq m. Let us also pay attention to the shape of the plot. An irregular shape can make it harder to carry out the project. The best and least problematic are rectangular plots at least 16 metres wide.

Let us also remember the positioning of the house. The most advantageous and comfortable arrangement for the household is to have the driveway on the north side and the garden on the south. Let us not forget the lie of the land either. A dream house on a slope in a mountain setting can be much more difficult to design and build than one on flat ground.

The price of a plot will also be affected by proximity to bodies of water. The closer to the water, the higher the cost. However, being next to a lake or river can contribute to a groundwater level that is too high, which forces you to give up a cellar or to make an additional investment in proper waterproofing. Proximity to water also means a flood risk. It is worth checking all these aspects before we decide to buy.

Utilities and access to the plot

Land without utilities is generally cheaper. However, the cost of bringing in the appropriate connections, or building your own, must be added to its price. It is worth considering which is more cost-effective for us. All information about the utilities available to a plot can be found in the local zoning plan (MPZP) or in the zoning decision (WZ).

As for getting to the plot, we must have direct access to a public road at least 5 metres wide. Otherwise, building a house on the purchased land is prohibited.

Legal status of the plot

Before buying, be sure to verify any information obtained from the seller in the land and mortgage register (księga wieczysta). This can be done conveniently online. Information of this kind is public, so everyone has access to it. In the land and mortgage register we can check who the legal owner of the plot is and whether the land is encumbered by debt or a mortgage. If it is, after buying it we will be forced to repay the debt.

As you can see, buying a plot for your own house is a big challenge for someone who has had no previous experience of it. It is therefore worth making use of the support of an experienced estate agency, which will not only present the best land available in a given area but also check all the aspects listed above for us. This way we will be able to make the investment with peace of mind.