Land Rezoned as Urban

[Anonymous]

Hi everybody.
I am new to the forum so please exuse me if my question is a bit vague, I am considering relocating to Spain in the not too distant future and have been looking at properties east of Malaga in the Axarquia area on the Internet, to be followed up by a visit.
Before venturing into a purchase of any kind I am trying to build up my knowledge of the spanish property market and any do’s & donts.
I have seen a Plot of Land aprox 10,000 mtr2 with a concrete Slab already laid for a Build of 130 mtr2, the advert says the local Town Hall has plans to urbanise the area where the Plot is located.
If I purchased the Plot for a future Build and returned to live in England to save more money, would it be the same as in Valencia where I could receive large Bills for any new Roads and Services etc, or possibly lose part or all of the Plot.
I will be posting more questions and hope somebody will be patient enough to help me.
Thanks.
Chris Williams.

[Anonymous]

@Chris Williams wrote:

I have seen a Plot of Land aprox 10,000 mtr2 with a concrete Slab already laid for a Build of 130 mtr2, the advert says the local Town Hall has plans to urbanise the area where the Plot is located.

Hi Chris. Who has placed the advert? Estate agent? It would be very risky to buy any plot of land that is not already classed as “urban” on the strength of what it says in an advert. You or your lawyer MUST verify 100% for yourself the claim re any plan to urbanise the area. Until then, the land is no doubt rustic and so the price should reflect this and you would not be able to build on it.
The “land grab” problem in Andalucia is not so much of one as in Valencia but cannot be ruled out until your land is reclassified, legally.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply Hillybilly.
Yes the Plot was advertised by an agent on there Website, they seem to specialise in Villas and Plots built on hillsides in the Torrox to Competa, Algarrobo, Sayalonga areas, some are Plots, some have the Houses built and some are in the process of being built.
The Plot I refered to in my original Post they say has now been sold, I like the idea of living just out of town and some of the Properties look very nice , with water and electric connections and reasonably short tracks off tarmac Roads.
The Agents say that all the Houses are built by a local Spanish Builder who ownes all the Plots.
If the Building Plots and Villas are all bona fide and legal with correct building permissions, would any future Development adjacent to them cause me to incur the problems I refered to.
Looking forward to getting out and exploring the Axarquia area soon.
Thanks Chris.

[Anonymous]

Be very very careful.

We bought a plot of land just outside a village in the Axarquia in 2001 and our house was built on it in 2002. We moved into it in February 2003.

While waiting for the licence of occupation, we had our paperwork checked by a local lawyer, not the person who had done our conveyancing, and found out that the papers we thought were our building licence were not.

We have paid money to the town hall, we have 10 year construction insurance, but now have to wait until we have been here 4 years (or until the town hall include us in their new PGOU) before we can register our house on the land.

All this, including finding the track outside out house is a “cattle track” and we are subject to many restrictions by the Medio Ambiente, has caused “our dream house” to turn into a nightmare. We can’t take any equity out of the house because its not worth anything, the land is not worth anything without a building licence, and we can’t afford to go back to the U.K. until we have sorted everything out and sold it.

BUT we still see agents taking prospective clients around our area, looking at plots that don’t have planning pemission, that are on the market at around 100,000 euros.

So be very careful.

[Anonymous]

Hi Arabrab.
Thanks for your input, sorry to hear of the problems you have had, and I hope with time they get sorted out.
Do you think with hind sight there was anything you could have done differently ( other than not bought at all ) to have possibly avoided the situation you are now in.
Am I right in thinking that even when using a good independant solicitor I will still have to check every step of the purchace process myself.
This forum has already taught me a lot, and the list of do’s and dont’s I am writing grows longer by the day, however I am still keen to live in Spain and own a house there. Thanks again for your help, good luck.
Chris.

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