What do you need to know when purchasing a plot of land for individual housing construction?

Imagine that you want to buy a house with a plot. Perhaps you are going to live there all year round or use it only as a summer house and go there in the summer.

The first question that arises is what time of year is it better to buy a house with a plot? If we are talking about the price, then in winter it is usually lower. But when buying, you need to look not only at the cost. It is necessary to evaluate the site as fully as possible and check the house - how warm it is, whether there are any leaks, etc. We will tell you in what season it is most convenient to do this.

In this article we will look at the pros and cons of buying a house with a plot in winter, spring, autumn and summer.

What you need to know when buying a house and land in winter

Let's list the advantages of buying a plot and a house in winter. You can:

1. Get a discount. Winter is a time of stagnation in the construction and real estate markets. Demand is usually low at this time. To stimulate it, sellers can reduce prices.
2. Comprehensively check the house. If you arrive in freezing weather, it will immediately become clear how suitable the house is for winter living. You will find out whether the roof is well insulated - if the snow lies on it in an even layer, then everything is fine. If there are “bald spots”, the insulation in these places is of poor quality. Under the snow cap, all the shortcomings of the roof, if any, will quickly reveal themselves - for example, leaks. You can also easily check communications - whether the water in the pipes freezes, whether the batteries and sewerage are working.
3. Check if there are neighbors in winter. If they are not there, this is a good reason to think about it. You may not feel comfortable living alone.
4. Assess the condition of the roads. You probably have to go to work every day. And if the roads are not cleaned, you simply will not be able to leave or you will be regularly late. And it’s good if everything works out without a tow truck. Or another option is that you won’t be able to drive up to your house because the car will get stuck. If you take public transport and walk to the stop, you will have to overcome snowdrifts every day - and this is extra physical activity. While you're walking, you might get your shoes wet, sweat, and catch a cold.

But there are also disadvantages. You won't check:

• Is the area flooded? And this is an important point: if the area is flooded, it will have to be “raised”, otherwise nothing will be able to grow on it. And you will almost always have to walk through mud, and this is not pleasant.
• Is the area illuminated , because in winter the sun is low and daylight hours are short.
• Soil quality. This is important if you are going to grow vegetables and berries. Having bought a plot in the winter, you may be disappointed in the spring. Perhaps the soil will be clayey and infertile.
• Relief of the site. Usually in winter the ground is covered with a thick, even layer of snow, so it is difficult to even roughly imagine the relief. And when the snow melts, an unpleasant surprise may await you: there may be hills or deep holes in the area.

Expert advice

This year, experts do not advise investing in agricultural land. According to analysts, such investments are unprofitable and will take a very long time to “fight off”.

They are located at a great distance from federal highways and cannot be transferred to other categories. These areas are suitable for growing produce and livestock farming; it is better not to choose them as investments.

The fact is that the creation of a livestock complex or land for growing various crops is a fairly long process and a significant investment. Now, despite support from the state, there are very few people willing to purchase such lands from you and organize their own business related to private household plots on them.

Choosing a house and plot in the spring

Buying a plot and a house in the spring has its advantages. You will immediately know:

1. Is the area flooded? Spring is the wettest time of the year. You will immediately understand whether the site will “float”. If it is not flooded, then everything will be fine in other seasons.
2. Are the roads washed out? Perhaps in the spring there is such a mess at the entrance that you simply can’t get home.
3. What is the relief on the site? When the snow masking the unevenness melts, everything will become obvious. All holes and hills will be visible to the naked eye.

Of the minuses, we note the following:

• Price increases are possible. On the eve of the construction and dacha season, there are unlikely to be discounts. Too many people want to buy a summer house to relax in the summer, so the demand is increasing. But if you are willing to pay a little more, but get a complete picture of the site, this is the optimal time.
• It is impossible to fully inspect the house. In spring it is no longer as cold as in winter, so it will not be possible to check the insulation of the facade or roof. Also, you will not know whether the water in the pipes freezes in winter.

Selecting a site

Buyers often try to buy land in a beautiful place or closer to a lake, without thinking about whether they can build a house on this site or whether there will be difficulties with access in winter y. But there are a few rules that will greatly simplify your life:

• Take a site with a minimum slope. Leveling before laying the foundation will cost a pretty penny - it’s better that the ground doesn’t require it.
• When choosing land near a pond, check to see if the land, along with your house, will slide right into the river. To do this, you can call specialists - geophysicists and hydrogeologists.
• Select an area of ​​the desired size. If you have a rough idea of ​​what size the house will be, the site should not be smaller than the expected size of the house. Count not only in hundreds, but also in meters. Surveyors or construction companies will help you with the calculations.
• Assess the state of communications. The site should be easy to use all year round, if this is important to you, and there should also be no problems connecting water, electricity and gas.
• Determine at what distance from the city the ground should be.

Buying a plot and a house in the summer

Let's list the advantages of buying a house with a plot in the summer. You will immediately check and evaluate:

1. Trees and shrubs on the site. You will see them bloom and bear fruit. In other seasons it is difficult to assess this.
2. Suitability of the site for planting. In summer, you can easily check the type of soil - clay, sand, etc. If you want to grow something on your site, this information will not be superfluous. For example, not much grows in clay soil.
3. Illumination of the area. This also plays a role if you plan to grow anything. The better the illumination, the better for plants.
4. Environment and views. The aesthetic component also plays an important role. Perhaps you will see exactly the picture that you have dreamed of for many years: a secluded area on the shore of a pond in which wild ducks swim, and all around there is greenery, tall trees, hedges, flower beds...

But it won’t be without its downsides. When choosing a plot and a house in the summer, you will not be able to check:

• House. There is no point in inspecting it in the summer - you will not be able to check the insulation, you will not know whether the house is warm in winter. You can forget about this.
• Quality of roads. What if in the fall and spring they are washed out so much that it is simply impossible to drive through? Or are they not cleaned at all in winter, and you will be making your way through the snowdrifts on a dark evening?

You can also take your mind off the main thing - inspecting the house and site . This is especially likely in the summer, when flowers smell, birds sing, and everything around turns green and blooms. Everything looks beautiful this season. Summer successfully masks many imperfections, making the site and house look more attractive. But it’s hard to imagine what’s going on here in autumn, spring or winter.

Why the Moscow region?

Country and cottage villages in this region are traditionally particularly popular. The demand for land near Moscow is least susceptible to economic phenomena, and remains high even in times of crisis.

Of course, the most liquid properties remain in the near Moscow region - almost all Russian investment capital is concentrated in them. This is facilitated by proximity to Moscow (where there are traditionally many jobs), good transport accessibility (highways near Moscow are expanded and reconstructed almost every year), and rich natural potential.

And although the financial crisis depreciates most investments, the cost of land in the Moscow region is not subject to sharp jumps. Therefore, such an investment of funds will help preserve them in difficult times, and therefore increase them faster after the crisis is overcome.

Choosing a house and plot in the fall

Let us note the advantages of such a purchase. You will immediately check:

1. The roof of the house. It often rains in autumn, so if there are leaks, they will probably show themselves.
2. Condition of the site. Spring gives the most accurate idea of ​​this, but in the fall you can also assess whether the area will “float” after rain.
3. Condition of the roads. Does it wash them out in the fall or not? And if so, will you even be able to get home without getting stuck in puddles and mud at the most inopportune moment?

You can also get a discount . The summer season is ending, people are trying to go back to the city. Few people think about buying a summer house in the fall - everyone is preparing for winter and busy with other concerns. Therefore, demand usually falls, and with it prices.

And now about the cons. It is one, but very significant.

• It will not be possible to comprehensively check the house. You will not be able to assess whether the water in the pipes is freezing, whether the radiators are heating, or whether the roof and walls are well insulated.

The most popular types of investments:

Over the past year, land values ​​have decreased only slightly, even though demand has dropped significantly. This is due to the fact that during the crisis and high dollar, many companies closed, especially for small and home-based businesses.

About a quarter of hired workers employed in individual entrepreneurs have lost their income, and the solvency of the country's population has sharply decreased. In order to somehow improve their lives, many began to sell their real estate, but a problem arose with the buyers, because they found themselves in a similar situation.

As a result, supply many times exceeded demand, which is why prices slowly began to fall. In many regions, for example, in the Samara region, several thousand real estate properties are put up for sale at record low prices, which have not been seen since the crisis of 2008, but no one is in a hurry to buy them.

Summary

When is the best time to buy a house with land?

• The most suitable time to choose and buy a home is winter.
• If you are going to live in a house all year round, then you should choose it in winter. You will immediately check the readiness of the house for frost.
• You should not buy a house in the summer - you will only be able to evaluate the plot, and you may not be able to inspect the house. In addition, prices during the season are usually higher than in winter.
• Spring or autumn is also a good time to buy a plot and a house. You will be able to understand whether the area is flooded, whether the roads are washed out, check the house for leaks. But you won't know how warm the house is in winter.
• The best option: inspect the site in the fall, and the house in the winter. And buy everything in winter, because at this time there are often discounts and reduced prices.

What documents will you need?