What to look out for when buying a building plot
PRICE OF LAND
Do you think the price of the land is too high or, on the contrary, too low? Find out the average prices of similar land in the given location. Use a public advertisement or land price map (if available for the location). Compare the prices and if the price does not match, ask the seller why.
LEGAL STATUS OF THE LAND
Who owns it, whether there are any restrictions on it. All information can be found at the real estate cadastre. You can consult the real estate cadastre on the Internet (https://nahlizenidokn.cuzk.cz) , or use the Czech point service at the post office to obtain an extract from the Land Registry. It should also be clear from the cadastre whether there are no encumbrances imposed on the land, foreclosures initiated, liens or pre-emptive rights simply anything that can present a problem in the use of the property.
If you find a building on the land not registered in the cadastre, it is a black building and it may be a problem to permit it additionally .
TERRITORIAL PLAN - REGULATIONS
One of the most important actions before buying a plot of land is checking the compliance of your plan with the spatial plan. The spatial plan always contains a precise definition of what can be built on the given plot of land. For delimitation, regulations are used in the spatial plan in the form of maximum house height, storeys, shape, orientation and slope of the roof, percentage of built-up area, percentage of paved areas and areas of greenery, various forms of coefficients (greenery, storeys), etc.
The spatial plan usually states what is considered to be the main function of land use in a given location and whether it is possible to build a building for other uses. In some cases, additional functions of use or exceptionally permissible ones are also indicated in the spatial plan. Each regional plan has a different form and you will find different regulations in each.
CAUTION! Sometimes a hidden condition can appear in the zoning plan, which, if not revealed in time, can make it very difficult for you to get a building permit. For example, permission to use the land for construction according to the spatial plan is possible only if a road of standard width leads to it. The use of the area is then conditioned by the modification (expansion) of the existing adjacent road so that it meets the relevant parameters and enables the proper connection of the site and adjacent areas.
A real estate agent or a building project designer could help you verify compliance with the zoning plan. You can also ask the building authority. For this purpose, the application form for spatial planning information is used.
SAFETY ZONE
Different protection zones may encroach on the land. Protection zones are usually established around water courses, forests, industrial areas, power lines and other networks. The protection zone on the land can be a very limiting factor for your construction project.
For example in the protection zone of waterworks, the water authority can restrict the construction and execution of other activities.
FLOOD ZONE, FLOOD AREA
Flood areas are areas determined by the water authority that may be inundated with water in the event of a flood. Floodplains are administratively determined and are based on the Water Act.
Flood maps (bands) show the degree of risk of flooding in a given location from the point of view of insurance companies. Flood maps are a private product used by the insurance industry.
If the land is located in a flood zone, it is necessary to check the conditions specified in the spatial plan. If the spatial plan allows for construction in the floodplain, it is still necessary that, in accordance with §17 of Act No. 254/2001 Coll., the Water Act, the consent of the water authority for construction has been granted. This consent is then needed in the building procedure to grant a building permit.
Problems can arise with real estate insurance (which is a condition for a mortgage loan). In the most risky zones, the property may be uninsurable, even though flood protection measures have already been implemented in the zone.
CAUTION! The location of the building in the flood zone affects its usual price.
Subsequent implementation in the flood zone may have limiting conditions, it is possible that you will be able to build only with the use of special technical measures (e.g.: the building will have to be built with a raised ground floor above the surrounding terrain, electrical equipment and switchboards will have to be located on higher floors, etc.).
REGISTERED TERRITORY
If your land is located in a heritage-protected area, it is necessary to check what restrictions will be set for future construction. You can contact the relevant national monument institute, where conservationists provide free consultations. If you would like to have a written statement, it is possible to submit a request for a binding opinion on the intended works, on the basis of which a binding opinion will be issued to you.
According to the degree of protection, heritage reserves and heritage zones, with heritage reserves having stricter protection conditions.
PROTECTED LANDSCAPE AREA
There are currently 26 protected landscape areas in the Czech Republic. If your land is located in one of these areas, it is necessary to check with the PLA administration what restrictions this will bring during future construction. You can often hit hard in nature conservation zones.
The Nature and Landscape Protection Agency of the Czech Republic is a state institution that provides professional and practical care in protected landscape areas, except for the Šumava region, where it is provided by the Administration of the National Park and Šumava Protected Landscape Area
Official website of the Nature and Landscape Protection Agency of the Czech Republic.
Official website of the Administration of the National Park and Šumava Protected Landscape Area.
DRIVE ROAD
Check whether there is an access road to the land you are buying and what its technical and legal status is. The function of access roads is mostly performed by local or purpose-built roads.
Local roads are by law the property of the municipality in which they are located. Anyone can use them. But if the road is not completed, approved and transferred to the property of the municipality, there is a risk of trouble.Purpose communications can be owned by anyone, including private individuals. In this case, it is necessary to check whether the communication is equipped with an established easement (easement) with the right to drive and walk.
The driveway should be paved and wide enough. Without a paved driveway, there may be a problem with the approval of the house and with taking out the mortgage for the construction. If the road does not meet the prescribed width and is not suitable for the arrival of emergency services (firemen, paramedics, police), this may be a reason for not issuing a building permit.If the access road is not established, expect an investment in its construction. But even here it is important to first check whether its establishment is even possible.
ENGINEERING NETWORKS - sewage, electricity, gas, water supply
Basic utility networks consist of water, sewerage, gas, electricity and possibly internet/telephone.
The ideal situation is if the land is networked and all networks are terminated on the land using connections.
If the land is not networked, it is necessary to check with the relevant network administrator where and under what conditions it is possible to connect. If the networks are routed in communication near the land, only connections will need to be implemented. But if the networks are at a longer distance, it will first be necessary to extend the lines and then connect them with connections. This can be a significant budget item.
Watch out! If the networks are run in an adjacent road that has recently been repaired, it is possible that the municipal authority, as the owner of the road, will not allow you to build connections, because the repaired surface would be damaged and the warranty on the part of the repaired road would be lost. A house without completed connections cannot be approved and used.
Watch out! Verify that there is sufficient capacity for network connections. It happens that the land is for construction, but the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant in the village is exhausted and the network administrator will not allow you to connect.Also, if there is not sufficient capacity of the electricity network in the place, you will not be allowed to connect, or it will be conditional on the realization of a new substation.
If it is not possible to implement a connection to the municipal water supply and the construction of a well is planned
Make sure that such a well can be built at all and that there is safe and potable water in the locality. Always have the water analyzed for an existing well.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Inform yourself sufficiently about the surroundings of the plot. If there is an airport, highway, waste dump or agricultural cooperative in the vicinity of the property, check that this traffic will not disturb you. It's possible that a noisy road that you don't even notice during the day will bother you a lot at night.
GEODETIC ORIENTATION
Before buying a plot of land, it is advisable to check the actual boundaries of the land being purchased. In practice, it happens that the real estate cadastre shows a different area of land than the actual area. It may also happen that the boundary of the plot defined by the fence does not correspond to the boundary determined by the cadastral map and the plot encroaches on the neighboring plot or vice versa. Verifying the actual boundaries of the land being purchased will prevent possible future inconveniences.
LOCATION OF BUILDING PLOT
The cardinal points, shape and slope of the terrain play an important role when buying a plot of land. Before buying a plot of land, think about what construction project you want to implement on the plot. Imagine the penetration of light with regard to the direction of the world, the slope of the terrain, the surrounding buildings and greenery.
NEIGHBORS
It is good to know who are the owners of the surrounding plots and who will be your future neighbors. Be sure to contact or ask the owner before buying the land. Direct neighbors are important for obtaining a building permit, and this way you will find out whether they will cause you problems during the planned construction.
