The term building factor refers to the maximum number of square metres that you are allowed to build. These square metres are expressed as a percentage of the land area.
Use of land in Cyprus is under the responsibility of the Town Planning and Housing Department, Ministry of Interior and it is controlled mainly by the Town and Country Planning Law, which came into force in 1991. The development in the main urban areas is controlled by the Local Plans and in the rural areas through the Countryside Policy Statement.
Cyprus is divided into several planning zones such as agricultural, green belt, industrial, residential, animal rearing and tourist zones. Once you have decided to buy a land with the intention to build on it you have to ensure that you are allowed to build on it.
Moreover, you have to ensure that you can get electricity, water and telephone facilities as well as road access to your property.
Consequently, the ideal land to buy is a building plot with a road access and all utilities connected. It is important to mention that building plots are usually more expensive as the owners have already paid for these facilities.
Buying and agricultural land you have to keep in mind that you are allowed to build only one house on it. Most agricultural land for sale in Cyprus does not have utility connections such as water, telephone and electricity. The price of this land is usually cheaper than a building plot, but you should also consider the fact that you will have to bring these services to the land at your own expense.
If you are planning to buy a land you should investigate building density of the land, the height and the number of floors you are allowed to build as well as the site coverage and usage. The above factors may vary according to the area you are planning to build.
Building density determines the value of the land and is about 1% to 150% in towns. An agricultural land has building density between 1% and 10 %. The height of the building is another factor you have to consider. Most of the times you can build a maximum of 4 floors in town and a maximum 2 floors out of the town.
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