ᐅ Plots of Land in Cologne Only Available Through Developers?

Created on: 17 Aug 2016 09:50
K
kati79
Hello everyone,

I’ll admit right away that I am a beginner when it comes to housebuilding. My partner and I want to move to the lovely Köln-Dellbrück area. At first, we looked at houses for sale and thought: with those prices, why not build our own?

I have noticed two things:
1. It seems that the city of Cologne no longer sells plots of land to private buyers, but in the future will only work with investors/developers. (Currently, no plots are being offered; the city’s final decision will be made by the end of the year.)
2. As a result, building a house with an architect is practically impossible—you are bound to a developer?!

Could you please share your opinions on this? Am I completely wrong in my conclusion?

Best regards,
kati79
R
R.Hotzenplotz
17 Oct 2016 20:52
This is absolutely dreadful.

I’d rather give up on building and ownership if all that’s possible is a run-of-the-mill developer house. In that case, I might as well rent something standard, and if I ever want something a bit better, I can get it within a three-month period.

I don’t think it’s worth the effort to look for a house that’s ready for demolition, as it’s usually completely uneconomical and priced very low... and when there actually is a bargain (a plot with a reasonable price), the industry professionals are faster than I am...
A
Alex85
17 Oct 2016 22:25
That sounds great for the city treasury. Two property transfers mean paying the property transfer tax twice, right? And when selling to a private individual, significantly more tax is due because the entire project is used as the basis for calculation.
R
R.Hotzenplotz
18 Oct 2016 21:56
In K.-Zündorf, there is currently a plot of land on the market priced at more than a 20% premium above the official land value. I get the impression that such a premium is unavoidable nowadays (if there is nothing offered by the city), or do you see it differently and consider this to be overpriced? The plot is located near the KVB terminus at Zündorf – actually quite well connected.

It’s by no means the ideal location in Cologne, but even with the inflated land value, it’s not too bad compared to options in the popular districts.

On the other hand, there is almost twice as much space available on the left bank for land designated for building (although in those cases, you might have to wait five years or longer).
T
Traumfaenger
18 Oct 2016 22:35
kati79 schrieb:
My partner and I would like to move to the beautiful Cologne-Dellbrück area. ..
Could you please share your opinions on this?

Hello Kati, we purchased a vacant lot exactly in the area where you are searching last year. We also placed ads in local newspapers and similar outlets. Not all sellers are willing to sell, and not everyone is active on online real estate platforms. However, a weekend ad can also reach this group. Wishing you good luck and success!
MarcWen19 Oct 2016 10:12
R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
Currently, there is a plot of land for sale in K.-Zündorf being offered at more than a 20% premium over the standard land value.

Well, K.-Zündorf really isn’t a prime location. And a 20% premium over the standard land value is not uncommon. You don’t have to look in K. for that.
T
Traumfaenger
19 Oct 2016 11:22
Supply and demand determine the price. Yesterday, the IVD study on property prices was published. For Cologne, I only have the price increase for condominiums so far: +15% (ranked 2nd in Germany for price growth). In general, single-family houses in major cities have become nearly 6% more expensive.

At the same time, a major mortgage lending platform for financial service providers reported new record figures... So, at least for the near future, there is no sign of a trend reversal.