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Purchasing land can be a great investment or the first step in building your dream house, a lot of research is required, it isn’t a decision one should make lightly. A raw piece of land has endless possibilities that it can be used for. Single and multiple family homes, retail and office spaces, hotels and resorts, malls and hospitals, etc, are some of the examples that can be developed on a piece of land.
The key for the buyers is to determine what is their goal when buying a piece of land:
Is it to hold the property for a period of time until it appreciates to a certain return?
Risks to consider before buying land
Although an empty of land has endless possibilities, it also comes with a fair amount of restrictions and challenges that you will encounter while developing it:
Zoning
Before purchasing land, be sure to research the zoning factors. Your city or country likely has a zoning search tool online through which you can research the property you are interested in buying, to know whether the land is zoned for residential use or you can build a commercial property on it, allowed height and approved size of development.
Location
The absolute most important factor to consider before buying land is its location. A better location might not offer you an ideal piece of land or a desired price, but can be worth it. If you are able to walk to the shops, schools and public transport, can make life easier and healthier, but be aware of issues like noise pollution.
Utilities
Contact utility companies to check that the block of your land can easily connect to all the utility services, includes sewerage line, running water, gas, telephone, cable and internet, or is your plot of land in the middle of nowhere. If you are unable to gain access to necessary utilities, it is a disaster for any potential development you were considering.
Environmental Issues
Is the land and the soil underneath is fit enough to be built upon? If it’s unstable it could cause the foundation to crack. Also the other important thing to determine is if the land is in flood zone or not. It can be very difficult for a layman to assess all these issues, a specialist help is recommended to figure out these issues before making a decision to buy.
Will you be owning the land outright or it will be on lease for a determined period of time, normally 99 years. This topic merits a separate post of its own, both types have certain advantages and disadvantages and should be taken into consideration before purchasing land.
At Algedra, we specialize in real estate and land buying, our advisors will help you through this maze of information to make an informed land acquisition.
