The eight points
1. Classification in the municipal planning document. Is the plot in a development zone, and under what designation. That is the absolute precondition.
2. The rules applying to the plot. Footprint, height, setbacks, density: these determine the achievable volume, not the plot area.
3. The existence of a detailed development plan. Its presence or absence changes the applicable rules and the project timetable.
4. Any protections. Protected sector, listed status, special perimeter: such designations can turn a simple notification into full consent.
5. The servicing position, covered in the article on serviced and unserviced land.
6. Access and easements. Right of way, right of light, crossing services: these burdens appear in the title documents.
7. Physical configuration. Slope, ground conditions, orientation, plot shape, all factors affecting construction cost.
8. Environmental constraints. Flood zone, contaminated ground, water protection area: their existence governs feasibility and cost.
| Check | Where it is made | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning and municipal regulation | Municipality | Before the offer |
| Developable area | Building regulation | Before the offer |
| Networks and connections | Network operators | Before the offer |
| Easements and charges | Deed and cadastre | Before the deed |
| Ground conditions | Site investigation | Before design |
The order of checking
It is not neutral, and it saves time.
Start with points 1 to 4, which are checked on documents and remotely, with the municipality and the national mapping portal.
Those four points rule out most problematic cases without travel or expense.
Continue with points 5 and 6, which require enquiries with the municipality, the network operators and the notary.
Finish with points 7 and 8, which may call for a technical visit and, as the case may be, a ground investigation.
Commissioning a ground investigation before checking developability is wasted expenditure, and yet a common reflex.
Documents to request
Five items, all obtainable before the offer. They are requested from the municipality and the vendor.
A recent cadastral extract, identifying the plot and its characteristics.
An extract of the municipal planning document applying to the plot.
The municipal building regulation, containing the construction rules specific to the municipality.
The detailed development plan, if one exists.
Earlier title documents, which record any easements.
Those documents belong to municipal planning, covered in the corresponding guide. They govern the whole project.
What should prompt withdrawal
Four situations, and not all are visible on site. They concern easements and ground conditions.
No direct access to a serviced road, without an established and enforceable easement.
Developability below the intended brief. A plot whose rules do not permit the project is not negotiated; it is left.
A heavy environmental constraint, whose treatment may exceed the value of the land.
An unexplained gap with the local market. A price well below the municipal median generally has a cause, better identified before than after.
That last point is the most useful signal: a price anomaly is an indication, not an opportunity, until its cause is established.
What to calculate before deciding
Three quantities, giving a comparable view between plots. They relate the price to the developable area.
The actual developable volume, under the applicable rules.
Land cost per achievable square metre of living area, the only comparable quantity, as the article on reading a price per are explains.
Total acquisition cost, including servicing and purchase costs, covered in the article on notary fees and duties.
What this means for a professional
Four rules.
Check before the offer, a conditional clause being no substitute for checking and not always available.
Follow the order proposed, documentary checks ruling out most problematic cases at no cost.
Reduce every plot to cost per achievable square metre of living area, the only honest basis for comparison.
Treat a price anomaly as an indication to clarify, not as a bargain.
This article sets out a professional method at the date of checking and serves as orientation. It does not replace legal advice or consultation of the competent administrations.