ᐅ Building a Plot - Is It Still Possible to Build Without a Developer Today?

Created on: 1 Dec 2019 12:29
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blaekridor
Hello everyone,

We are planning to build a house in the outskirts of Leipzig. There are offers from developers that include both house and land. However, I would like to stay in control of the process and build with an architect. For this plan, I have spent six months searching for land. The result: it is almost impossible to find a plot, even in the more rural areas. Most of the available land has already been secured by developers (such as Heinz von Heiden, Kern, Rensch-Haus...).

So far, my land search has been through well-known online portals and local municipalities.
Do you have any tips on other ways to find land?

Do architects also help with finding land? They should have an interest in planning a house for their clients.

Looking forward to your replies.
Best regards

Martin
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hegi___
1 Dec 2019 13:20
blaekridor schrieb:

Thank you. That is a measure.

In my opinion, the only real measure nowadays. Or buy a fixer-upper and have it demolished.

We also searched for a year. After two weeks of driving around, we started to see some results.
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blaekridor
1 Dec 2019 13:56
hegi___ schrieb:

In my opinion, that is the only option nowadays. Otherwise, buy a dilapidated house and have it demolished.

We also searched for a year. Driving around brought us the first results after two weeks.
I have also considered the option of a dilapidated house. But anything with even a somewhat watertight roof quickly becomes quite expensive.
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guckuck2
1 Dec 2019 14:01
Forget online platforms. Those are leftovers for the lazy who supposedly “urgently” want or need to build but only want to do it from the sofa with a tab in hand. You need something off the radar from acquaintances or traditional cold calling on site.
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Yosan
1 Dec 2019 14:43
That’s true. Usually, only leftover plots end up on the platforms. If someone wants to sell a good piece of land, it’s often enough to mention it once at work or within their circle of acquaintances, and there is almost always someone interested or who knows someone who wants it. Many plots are sold simply because potential buyers ask the owners directly, without the owners having advertised or listed them anywhere.

So, if you don’t actively ask around locally yourself or have enough friends in the area, you won’t get access to the better properties.
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HilfeHilfe
1 Dec 2019 15:34
blaekridor schrieb:

How does the whole system work? The developers usually have local sales agents (who, in my experience, often still operate regular real estate offices). Do the development companies actually own the plots of land, or is it more like an option?
Is it possible to buy land directly from the developers? Does anyone have experience with this?

Developers, not land sales agents. They want to earn twice.
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blaekridor
1 Dec 2019 21:16
Conclusion: Look for gaps -> Talk to neighbors -> Find the property owner

Are there any other interesting approaches?
- Through architects?
- Bulletin board in the supermarket?

What has worked for you?
Thanks and best regards