Procedure for purchasing property directly from the municipality

Hello everyone. I am new here and hope I don’t embarrass myself right away.

We currently have the opportunity to purchase a plot of land in a newly developed residential area directly from the municipality. The current status is that we have reserved a plot that we like. According to the municipality, the reservation lasts "about 6 weeks."

My questions relate to the "what now?", since we have not received any further information from the municipality yet. What are likely the next steps? What do we need to do by when in order to actually buy the plot? I am thinking of things like:

[*]Is it advisable to have a soil survey done before purchase or is it sufficient later? My main concern is the timing due to the 6 weeks. (What we already know: On the neighboring plots to the left and right, there are newly built or still under construction houses, at least one of which has no basement, whereas we want to build with a basement. According to the development plan, "no mining effects are to be expected." The plot is not on a slope (30cm height difference over 25m). To us laypeople it looks unremarkable in every respect – rectangular, flat.)
[*]Does the notary appointment have to take place before the 6-week reservation period expires, or can we confirm our purchase intention in another way if time is tight? (Unfortunately, we will also be on vacation during that time.)
[*]Does it actually have to be a specific notary or can it be any notary from the area?
[*]Is it correct that we do not need a financing commitment or anything like that from a bank if we can pay for the plot with our own capital?

Many thanks for your help – I’m looking forward to some support in this adventure. If you need further information regarding the questions, please just let me know. If all of this can only be answered by the municipality, please just say so as well.

Hello and from top to bottom:

The reservation lasts according to the municipality "about 6 weeks".

You can also extend it several times if you have more intense interest.

what now?

Look for a general contractor or an architect. Familiarize yourselves with the development plan and decide what building envelopes you want. Intensive research!

Is it advisable to have a soil survey done before purchase or is later sufficient?

According to your information, later is also sufficient. But since you can extend the reservation and have committed yourselves, you can commission it when you roughly know what you want to build where.

Does the notary appointment have to take place before the 6-week reservation period expires

No. According to agreement with the municipality/seller

Does it actually have to be a specific notary

Whichever one you want.

Is it correct that we don’t need a financing commitment or something from a bank if we can pay for the plot with equity?

I don’t know.

The one you wish for.

Whereas the actual free choice of the notary in municipal building areas is usually boiled down by the municipality to exactly one notary and exactly one possible contract. A template contract when choosing the municipality’s notary, who then also notarizes 20-300 contracts so that not every single contract has to be renegotiated.

Is it correct that we don’t need a financing commitment or something like that from a bank if we can pay for the plot with equity?

Ask the municipality what they want to see from you. Without financing, a financing confirmation will at least be impossible...

Thank you all for the answers! I wanted to call the municipality anyway in the next few days, but this already gives me a better feeling about what might be coming our way.

On the neighboring plots to the left and right, there are newly built or still under construction houses, at least one of which is without a basement, whereas we want to build with a basement. According to the development plan, "no mining-related impacts are to be expected." The plot is not on a slope (30 cm height difference over 25 m). It looks inconspicuous to us laymen in every respect – rectangular, flat.)

Please ask the neighbors to allow inspection of their soil investigation reports; six weeks would be very tight for permission of drilling, the sampling date, and receiving the evaluations. The note about the mining-related impacts not expected means that there are no seams / adits / old mine workings under the building area through which the plot could subside.

Is it correct that we do not need a financing commitment or something similar from a bank if we can pay for the plot with equity?

A proof of equity is actually the best financing commitment, and not a missing one.