Finding a plot of land to build on is the first step for any developer and a task that can take several months of work.
Our team has extensive experience, with more than 10 years reviewing and assessing land purchase opportunities for our clients.
We start from a set of guidelines for finding a plot of land that we discuss in the first meetings; these are the basic criteria you should start from:
Orientation and sun exposure:
Good southern orientation (in the Northern Hemisphere) is key to getting sunlight. The sun is a source of life, warmth, and light, and it is the first premise behind any bioclimatic strategy for delivering an efficient, healthy home.
Slope and subsoil:
The slope of the land will have a direct impact on additional costs for excavation, earth retention, and foundations; therefore, flat plots are always more expensive. In the case of sloping plots, it may be necessary to consider a preliminary subsoil study to assess the land’s capacity to support the weight of the building without resulting in additional foundation costs.
We also carry out an initial assessment of the total investment to help you understand the feasibility of purchasing a plot to build on and to enable you to set the maximum investment in the plot.
Finally, based on our experience, for clients who are not yet sure about the location where they will build, we provide guidance to understand the different areas and average land prices. We also offer recommendations on how to start looking for a plot of land.
TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT OF PLOTS
Once you have specific plot options, we carry out a series of checks to help you make the purchase decision with full guarantees and confidence:
Feasibility study
With a specific plot, we can carry out a detailed study of the feasibility of the purchase and the investment in design and construction.
This study typically starts from the investment set by the client or developer, and based on a full analysis of the regulations and the plot’s characteristics, as well as current construction benchmarks, we determine the total floor area that can be delivered reliably and without budget overruns.
Review of building regulations
We carry out a preliminary regulatory review to assess not only the building conditions in terms of buildability, site coverage, and building limits, but also any potential restrictions set by each municipality that may affect the project’s development, such as specific ways of calculating square metres, regulations that affect the building’s aesthetics, or mandatory requirements such as stormwater or greywater management that may increase project costs.
Review of urbanisation status and building permits
Before purchasing a plot, it is necessary to check the plot’s status in relation to the urbanisation of the parcel, as well as any possible changes in the granting of building permits that may affect the project’s feasibility.
Technical review of the plot
The technical review will depend on the plot’s conditions: slope, subsoil conditions, the conditions of neighbouring buildings or plots, and access conditions. In each case, we carry out a more or less specific review so that the purchase can be made with full confidence that the technical conditions will not alter the final investment. In some cases, an on-site visit may be required, either by our team, by one of our technical collaborators (a geologist or surveyor), or even by a collaborator specialising in biohabitability measurements, as is the case for plots near high-voltage lines or substations, mobile telephony, or radar installations.
FREE ADVICE ON FINDING A PLOT OF LAND
If you are considering different plots and would like to learn how to determine whether a plot is suitable for building, we will support you throughout this initial stage so that the purchase can be made with full technical and legal guarantees, at no cost, as each client and each developer has specific needs.
For our team, this is a way to begin a relationship of trust with our future client and to ensure that we reach the design phase with a plot in good condition, where we will not encounter setbacks that could compromise the feasibility of the operation.