Development Costs - Point of Contact

Hello forum community,

my wife and I have found a very nice plot of land in the nearby area after a long search. However, there are still some open questions that even the well-known advertiser cannot or does not want to answer.

We were able to find the advertisement online once as developed and once as undeveloped. It was the same plot of land, district 7, parcel 58.

When asking whether the plot of land is now developed, we received a letter from the building authority stating:

"... with reference to your letter dated XX.XX.XXXX, I certify that for the property located in XXXXX, Mustermann St. 7, district Mustergemeinde, district 7, parcel 58, no development contribution is to be levied according to the provisions of §§ 127 et seq. of the Building Code in connection with the ordinance on the collection of development contributions for the northern section Mustermann St. The western section of Mustermann St., parcel 14, is currently not a development facility. Should this section be developed into a development facility, development contributions are still to be levied.

A sewer connection fee is to be charged in accordance with the provisions of ... in the amount of €3,670.87."

There is already a sewer and paved road on the northern part of the section. The western part currently consists of a "gravel" road. The advertised property borders this western section (parcel 14 - "gravel" road) and thus we, as owners, would be affected in the event of development.

Parcels 17 and 63 (see attachment) were already built on several years ago and have corresponding connections: water, wastewater, electricity, gas.

We would now like to find out what costs might still be involved for the connection to water, wastewater, electricity, and gas.

Could it be that a sewer still needs to be laid to our property? – Who is the right contact person? (municipal utilities etc.?)

What does the sewer connection fee include?

Thank you in advance for answering our questions.

Hello philistine...

Regarding the topic of house connection costs, you should contact your municipal utilities. They can give you detailed information about prices. Often, you can also find a price list online showing the costs. Since I don't know exactly where you live, unfortunately no more precise statements can be made because it really varies from region to region.
The sewer connection fee is charged when you connect your property to the public sewer system for the first time. The costs therefore only include the connection and not the sewer construction work on the property.

Best regards

First of all, a distinction must be made between internal and external development.

The external development is the basic prerequisite. That means the street is there. Electricity, water, gas, telephone, sewer, and wastewater connections are connected to the property. These development costs (if developed) are usually included in the purchase price of the property. Important for taxes: have the development costs listed separately in the amount, because the real estate transfer tax applies only to the land, not to the development costs.
Also important, perhaps: if it is a new development area, the development costs at the time of sale are often only estimated, and if everything is completed after a few years (for example, if the construction road is replaced), there may be additional payments.

The internal development can only be done once you know where your house will be. That is done by the utility companies. They lay the gas, water, electricity, sewer on your property where it needs to go. The telephone is done by Telekom. That is where the house entry point is. The utilities will then provide you with an offer including costs when the time comes. The price varies depending on the region and also depends on how far your house is set back from the street. It makes a difference whether only 3 meters or 10 meters of supply line need to be laid. For example, in our area (Region FFM), for about 3 meters it costs around €6500.

From your information, however, I can't quite make sense of it. I have also fully put myself in your situation.

Hello projekthausbau, hello emer,

thank you very much for the prompt answer to our questions.

Hello banause...
The sewer connection fee is charged when you connect your property to the public sewer system for the first time. The costs therefore only include the connection and not yet the sewer construction work on the property.

A new building was already constructed directly next to the property 2 years ago. So supply lines had to be laid there already. Could we be lucky here that the costs for external development will not be so high anymore?

Can the sewer construction work on the property be carried out by ourselves?

Our concern is that corresponding sewers and supply lines still have to be laid about 75 meters to the building plot. But the utility company will be able to tell us that.

First of all, a distinction must be made between internal and external development.
The external development is the basic prerequisite. That means the street is there. Electricity, water, gas, telephone, sewer and wastewater connections are available at the property boundary. These development costs (if developed) are usually included in the purchase price of the property.

There is no “proper”, asphalted or paved street. The access to the property and to the already built properties is via a gravel path. For us it would now be interesting to know whether corresponding supply lines lie in front of the property. After all, the other properties also had to be connected. Is there something like tim-online NRW where one can see properties with possible supply lines?

Important for taxes: have development costs shown separately in the amount, because real estate transfer tax only applies to the land, not to development costs.

Thank you very much for this hint!

Maybe also important: if it is a new development area, development costs at sale are often only estimated and it can happen that after a few years everything is finished (for example when the construction road is replaced), additional payments may come.

This is not a new development area. Old, developed plots were partly divided and newly built. [That is why construction is only allowed here according to §34 of the Building Code.] For this reason there is still no proper street there. Nevertheless, a street could be built there at some point. Who decides something like this anyway, the city or the municipality? The construction of a street there would affect 5 parties.

Internal development can only be done once you know where your house will be. The utility companies will then do that. They lay the gas, water, electricity, sewer on your property where it is needed. Telephone is done by Telekom.

Can the excavation for the supply lines be done by us?

The price varies depending on the region and also depending on how far your house is from the street. It makes a difference whether only 3 meters or 10 meters of supply path have to be laid. For example, here (Frankfurt area) it is around 6500€ for about 3 meters.

The way to the street would be about 75 meters depending on the direction, from the building plot... We hope that preparatory work has already been done when the other houses were built, to which one would only have to contribute afterwards.

You can do earthworks yourself, yes. Also, you don't necessarily have to commission the sewer (at least on your property) from the SW. At least that's how it is with us.

Philistine,

just call your responsible municipal utility company and, providing the plot number, they should be able to give you precise information if the lines are in place. Everything else is speculation.
Which municipal utility company is responsible for you?
What is also involved in the sewer work is the acceptance by the responsible drainage company (at least in Thuringia or Erfurt).