Checklist at the stage of considering land to buy

This is a selection of some of the things that a professional estate agent will look for when brokering or buying a property. Even if you are new to buying property, it is important to be aware of these details so that you can make an effective assessment. We hope you find this list useful in your property considerations.

(a) Obtain the address of the land (land number or residential address)

(b) Decide on the purpose of use of the land (laws and regulations are different for single-family houses and for apartment buildings, including houses for rent. Even in the case of other uses, the survey details will vary depending on the use of the building).

(c) Imagine the characteristics of the land.
Is it close to a river or culvert?
Is there a difference in elevation?
Is the land at risk of flooding or landslide?

(d)Check the information about urban planning from the government website.
Does the land fall under the urbanization area, the urbanization control area, or none of them?
If it is an urbanized area, which of the 13 types of land use areas does it fall under?
Find out about the building-to-land ratio, floor-area ratio, height restrictions, and other building restrictions.

(e)To be confirmed on site The position of the boundary with the adjoining land, and the installation situation of the boundary mark.
Whether or not there is a border crossing with the adjacent land.
Measure the width of the road.
Measure the distance between the boundary markers in the case of an alley-shaped site.
If there is a retaining wall on a sloping site, check whether the retaining wall is on this site or on the adjacent site.

(f) The surrounding area
The method of waste disposal
Relationships with neighbours
Whether there are any objectionable facilities

(g) Government survey and infrastructure survey
・The type of road and the width of the approved road
・Existence of city planning facilities and their details
(for example, if a city planning road is planned to be laid on the site, the site may be expropriated as a road in the future, and this may impose restrictions on the structure of the building to be built)
・Water supply, sewerage and septic tanks, city gas and propane gas, electricity company