Land purchase - what is to be done?

We recently came across a property by chance that we like. Unfortunately, we have not yet given any thought to how to approach purchasing land. Therefore, I wanted to inform myself here in advance about the general procedure for something like this. Can someone here help me?

p.s. It is a sloped property. Should I therefore take a closer look or pay special attention to certain things?

Hello, so far unfortunately no one has answered your question. I am not a construction expert, but just the following: You should definitely talk to the seller/owner. Get a current land register excerpt to exclude encumbrances. Also, go to the responsible building authority and ask if a development plan exists and check whether you can build on the property at all or build the way you want and are allowed to. Look for the development plans to see what connections are available and where the access shafts are located (every meter counts). In addition, to be absolutely sure, you should commission a soil survey (400-800 euros). This is quite a lot of money, but before building the house you have to do it anyway (structural stability of the house), and it saves you from buying, for example, a property that has been tested for explosives or one with high groundwater/layer water, which you would then have to plan for financially in a complicated way later.

Hello,

Unfortunately, we have not yet given any thought to how to approach a land purchase. Therefore, I wanted to inform myself here in advance about how to generally proceed in such a case. Can someone help me here? p.s. It is a sloped plot. Should I therefore take a closer look or pay particular attention to certain things?

I suspect that no one has answered you here yet because it would simply be too much in terms of tips to give you, and hardly anyone here has the time or desire to do so. For that very reason, many helpful contributors have taken the trouble to compile links on the site under "Ratgeber" summarizing many answers to standard questions around the topic of building.

Basically, my predecessor is not wrong with his recommendations, although the steps he mentioned are usually clarified in advance by reputable sellers. The best way for you now – besides reading, of course – is to seek a conversation with the land seller. He will have clarified all relevant data beforehand with the landowner, such as the surrounding soil conditions – as far as known –, sewage system, buildability, and possibly property charges, etc. He will probably also be able to explain the particularities related to sloped plots; one of them is that the house structure to be built will certainly not be cheaper because of this. By the way, having a soil survey done is included in the services offered by reputable providers, and the inquiry regarding "residual war materials on the property" belongs to every building application.

Before you start "negotiating" with a house provider, you should have your financial possibilities clarified in advance by an independent financier. Then you will know for sure with what budget you can calculate and whether you can cover the additional costs that arise from a sloped plot.

If you still have any questions afterwards, feel free to ask them here.

Kind regards