Title, survey, physical condition, planning status. Skip any one of them and the building on top inherits the problem.
Land is the one part of a construction project you cannot fix later. A poor design can be redrawn and a poor finish can be redone, but a defective title follows the property for its entire life.
Start with a search at the relevant lands registry to confirm who holds title and whether the land carries any encumbrance, government acquisition or pending litigation. Have a registered surveyor confirm that the coordinates on the survey plan match the physical parcel you were shown.
Then assess the ground itself. Flood history, soil bearing capacity, water table, access for delivery vehicles and proximity to power and drainage all change what it costs to build. A cheap plot on poor ground is not a cheap plot.
Lastly, confirm what the planning authority permits on that parcel. Zoning, setbacks and permitted height decide whether the building you have imagined is the building you are allowed to construct.
Planning a project and want this applied to your specific site and budget? Send us the details and we will come back to you.
