As we discussed before there are several ways one can locate land in order to build their own home. Either you can refer to professionals such as Estate Agents and Developers, or you can search on your own for property adverts in the media or on site.
For those who would prefer to leave the search part to the professionals an inquiry to an experienced and reputable Estate Agent or Developer would be a good idea. Property developers have acquired large pieces of land, particularly near the coast. However, it can be possible to find land for sale because there might be plots that are either too small or uneconomic for their large-scale developments. Estate Agents may be able to provide you with details of land available for sale and help you out with the paperwork and legalities involved in the procedure.
Those who want to pass through every stage of the procedure until their dream home is build prefer to do everything themselves. There are so many ways to locate land in Cyprus on your own. Some people state that the best way to locate land in Cyprus is the word of mouth. However if you are a foreign citizen currently living away from Cyprus but you plan to buy land on the island you can visit Cyprus and walk around the region you mostly prefer and watch out for “For Sale” signs or ask people living in the area if they know of any land or plot for sale.
Land for sale can be advertised online as there are thousands of Property directories providing information of the featured properties. Majority of the online property sites offer a categorization system witch gives you only the results that meet your needs. Further more by finding properties on the web first, you save yourself valuable time viewing properties that do not suit you. Thus looking for land through the internet is the fastest way to locate land. Newspapers and magazines usually host a property section with several property adverts including land and plots. On the other hand auction houses and property shows may offer exclusive plots for sale.
Nevertheless before engaging in the search for land, you need to keep in mind some points that will assist you to refine your search and finally to end up to the ideal land or plot for you.
Location and features
The primary point to consider is the desirable location where you want to buy land and build your own home. The location must have the facilities you regard as necessary for a pleasant and convenient lifestyle, although economic realities may lead you to make some compromises. Consider the availability in shops, medical services, banks and schools. Then decide how important to you are features as great view, privacy, distance from the beach and so on. Finally you need to determine the minimum and maximum size of land you need.
Zoning and accessibility
Whether you buy land for investment or to build your dream home it is anyway important to make clear how you can use the land and what you can build on it. This is determined by the way the land is zoned. Before finalizing your decision check with the local authority and find out what the zoning designation for each plot of your interest means. You also need to ask whether a zoning change is planned and how to obtain planning permission. Make certain what percentage of the land can be built on and if there are any restrictions on the height of the building. Ask what kinds of setbacks from the property boundaries are obligatory. Check if the property is in a flood zone. Also check with the local Council as to whether there are any known plans, for future nearby construction, which may affect the value or demand for the certain piece of land.
The access to the road and the utilities network is an important factor that determines the value of the land and the cost that will take to finally obtain a building permission. Check that the land has direct access to a public road. If your land or plot is not accessible by a public road, there should be a deed, with the title deeds, giving a right-of-way to access the land. Also you have to make sure if there are nearby services for water, electricity and telephone. If not, consider the cost of bringing these services to the land. In Cyprus the public sewerage system is under construction, so a provision for a septic must be considered. There is also no available mains gas, even though it is in the future plans of the Government.
Topography and soil quality
The topography and landscape of the site will directly affect what you can build and how much it will cost. Depending on the region, you may need soil borings to verify how far down builders must go to excavate for your foundation. Also, if you need to dig a well for water, find out how deep you will likely have to go.
As you can understand this is a long and frustrating procedure you are outing yourself into. You have to be patient and alert and think the fruits all this thorough procedure will bear. After a few visits to the island and a thorough research, you will be able to locate the land of your dreams, ideal in any aspect and free from any problems.
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