Plot of land with a decommissioned gas station

Hello dear forum members,

I hope I am in the right thread here.
After a long time as a silent reader, I am now writing a post after all. My partner and I want to build a house in the foreseeable future and are looking for a plot of land for this.
Now I have an offer in front of me and hope for your collective knowledge.
Approx. 400 sqm, but with garages and a decommissioned gas station. I know the plot very well; it has a very, very advantageous location within the city.
My concerns about it are – besides the price – whether it even makes sense to acquire such a plot? Is there anyone who already has experience with this? What additional items would we have to expect? (Of course, no exact prices are meant here explicitly, but rather things like the removal of soil or something like that.)
Unfortunately, I have found only inadequate answers on the internet, and before making such a large investment, I want to be as well protected as possible.

Thank you very much for your answers!
Best regards
qwertzui

poh... I wouldn’t do it - because I know how very complex, time-consuming, and expensive soil and groundwater remediation can be. Now, in this case, it is known that there is/was a gas station there. Has the above-ground structure already been dismantled? Have the tanks already been removed? Is the seller still doing that or is the new owner supposed to do it themselves?

I would first take care of (if the price is good enough that you are seriously considering it) whether the seller is obligated due to the situation through dismantling, etc., to have a soil/GW report done themselves. If they have to do that, as the owner they also have to undertake and pay for any necessary remediation. Then, of course, the sale would likely take longer... If the owner is not obligated to take samples, then YOU would have to do that - BEFORE the purchase, of course. Without an expert report, nothing will move forward. Only from that can you estimate whether and how much contamination is in the soil and groundwater, and how long it will probably take to fix it. And maybe you would be lucky, and the work was done cleanly, there were no leaks, and the soil is fine.

Thank you very much for the quick response! The gas station has already been dismantled above ground; the note about the tanks is a good hint, which I will inquire about. According to the owner, there is a soil report that cannot detect any residues. I have asked whether it can be viewed. Another idea would be to call the city and ask if they have any records regarding contamination there, and how extensive the municipal requirements would be. I am also a bit apprehensive about a soil and groundwater remediation, which is why I wanted to ask here for some experience...

Does it even make sense to purchase such a property? Is there anyone who already has experience with this? What additional items would we have to expect?

First, please obtain or have presented a contaminated site report (there is a special contaminated sites register for this). That helps at least for the very first assessment.
Then an expert should be consulted and, if necessary, soil samples taken.
Third, everything should be precisely agreed upon in the purchase contract. In the commercial sector, for example, there are many contracts where the seller must bear the costs for the removal of contaminants exceeding the amount X (even though many municipalities have already really overextended themselves with this ). But I am also sensitized to the issue through my customers.
Basically, however, it is not a problem to buy such a property. Look at it, check it, and calculate whether it is worthwhile.

Is residential development even permitted on it?

Thank you for your hints I am also considering whether it would be worthwhile, in the case of a purchase contract, to consult a corresponding lawyer beforehand to ensure that everything is really watertight. According to the owner, the tanks have become silted up and are still available underground. They would probably have to be excavated along with the basement, right? I also have to refer to the owner here, but according to her, a house construction is possible there. Around and on a (former) part of the gas station, houses are already standing. However, I would also clarify this if necessary through a building preliminary inquiry.