How to buy a plot to build a house on?

If you visit any larger estate agency, you will have no trouble finding a listing for a house to rent or buy. The most ambitious people, however, often dream of building one themselves. It is worth remembering, though, that a badly chosen plot can seriously spoil the plan. Spoil it or… make it impossible.

A good place and a bad place

Right at the start it is worth thinking carefully about the location. The middle of the city may be convenient in terms of access, but do we really want to build a house there? There are also places that seem attractive in terms of price and location, but only until you take into account the nearby railway lines or expressways. What is important is that, if they are not properly screened, they can effectively disturb the peace and make it hard to fall asleep even a kilometre away, which might seem quite far.

The current state of the area is one thing, but it is worth remembering that in five or ten years' time it may look completely different. To avoid any surprises, it is worth consulting the local zoning plan (MPZP), available at the town or municipal office. This will tell us whether the municipality allows buildings other than houses and flats to be put up in the area – for example production or industrial buildings.

Consulting the zoning plan is important for another reason as well. From it we can find out whether building above a certain number of storeys is permitted in the given area, whether a particular type of building may be put up, and also what the permitted floor area is, or, for example, the shape of the roof.

READ ALSO – HOW TO OBTAIN A BUILDING PERMIT?

The infrastructure around your house

When choosing a plot to build your own house on, it is also worth paying attention to the infrastructure available nearby. What condition are the access roads in? Do any cables or utility lines run across the plot that would make it impossible to put up a building there? And finally, will there be a problem connecting the house to the sewerage network?

It is true that the lack of a sewer connection can be worked around by installing a domestic sewage treatment plant or a septic tank, but you must bear in mind that this means additional costs and the need to set aside extra space next to the house.

The dimensions of the plot matter – more than you think!

Remember also that when buying a plot in, for example, Katowice, you should take into account that its length and width must be greater than the corresponding dimensions of the house itself. The wall of a building must be a certain distance from the boundary of the plot. If it has no windows, 3 metres is enough; for a wall with windows, 4 metres. But that is not all! Municipalities may also set a larger distance between the house and the front of the property. Often it will be about 5 metres, although sometimes this distance is even twice as large.

There is an exception to the above rules, known as a "narrow plot". This applies to properties that are only 16 metres wide. In their case the space between the house and the boundary of the plot may be only one and a half metres. The point is that such a narrow house simply will not be comfortable. We do not build a place of our own only to feel inside it as if we were in… a flat.