It’s rarely as rewarding or even more daunting as building your own home from scratch.
One of the first challenges of your journey is to find the perfect plot. This could be a vacant lot, or (probably) another house or building already standing.
In any case, how can you find this perfect place? And what are the steps to change from zero to a local hero?
Table of Contents
Find land
When it comes to finding land, you can either look to the internet or roll up your sleeves. The easiest approach is to have several sites that provide a list of parcels currently available in the UK.
However, if you have a detective line, it is also beneficial to visit the area you are considering and poke around. The earth is fun, and sometimes people sit in great places without even realizing it. If you poke your head around the area, you may find hidden gems or locals may point you in the right direction. Land for sale UK is very rare so you should not waste time buying it.
Greenfield vs brownfield
Greenfields are undeveloped sites and tend to be more natural, like the many acres of land in the country. While these may seem ideal to some, they are notorious for being difficult to find and can be part of the greenery around the city. In short, getting a planning permit is not an easy task.
Brownfields are often abandoned or unused parcels that have already been developed in the past. To build on this land, you often have to pay more to clean it, especially if the land has been contaminated by previous industrial use. However, not everything is bad. You may be able to use the existing structures at these sites within the structure.
Evaluate your land
Before giving money, you need to assess whether your land is fit for purpose. This is where the chartered surveyor comes in. They can visit your parcel and map the barriers and problems you may face during construction. There are many plots of land for sale in the UK which are according to your needs.
They will be on the lookout in general…
- Flood risk
- pollution
- wood
- Soil quality
- Existing structure
- Nearby power line
- And much more
In addition to the physical challenges that may be encountered, investigators also consider legal obstacles. They define the boundaries of your parcels and allow you to correctly understand where you can build and whether nearby owners can be affected. Without proper investigation, these boundaries can be compromised and face awkward legal disputes.
Work license
Speaking of legal controversy, planning a permit is a big consideration for your project. Not all new constructions require the submission of a complete plan application and not all city councils are keen on the idea that a new home will emerge.
Some parcels may be sold with a planning permit attached, but they tend to be just sketches of what is possible, rather than all the details being properly mapped. In this case, you need to work with the council to find out what is possible within the scheme that has already been approved.
Again, having an experienced architect on your side and acting as a planning agent is most likely to succeed at this stage.
How much does the land cost?
Like homes, the price of land in the UK can fluctuate significantly. It can cost thousands of dollars in one part of the country and millions of dollars in another. Therefore, you need to do a little research to find the average cost of land in your area.
Things that affect the value of land…
- Location
- Site status
- terrain
- Services such as whether gas or water is connected
- Attached plan permission
- Adjacent development
In addition to the price of the parcel of land, other costs of the project should also be considered. These include…
- Legal costs
- Construction cost
- Contractor
- material
- accessories
- project management
- Structural engineering
- And much more
