In short
- Check the municipal zoning plan: can you build a house on the plot, and how big.
- Make sure a road you are allowed to use leads to the plot.
- Find out how far electricity, water and sewage are, and what connecting will cost.
- Check boundaries, encumbrances and the owner in the cadastre and the Land Register (Zemesgrāmata).
What you may build on the land
The key question is not the price of the land but what you are allowed to do with it. That is set by the municipality's spatial plan (teritorijas plānojums) and its building rules.
On the geoportal geolatvija.lv, find the plot by address or cadastral designation and see which functional zone it is in. The zone rules give the minimum plot size, building density, maximum number of floors and whether a residential house is allowed.
The cadastre also shows the land's designated use. If it is farmland or forest land and you plan to build a house, ask the municipal building board what needs to be done and how long it will take.
Road access
Land you cannot legally drive to is hard to build on and even harder to sell. Check on the cadastral map whether the plot borders a municipal road or street.
If the road crosses a neighbour's land, a road easement should be recorded in the Land Register. A verbal agreement with the neighbour is not the same: the neighbour's next owner may not honour it.
Utilities and connections
Undeveloped land often has no connections at all. Find out how far the nearest power line, water main and sewer are. The further away, the more it costs.
For electricity, the Sadales tīkls website has a connection fee map that gives a rough cost by address. For water and sewage, ask the local water utility. If there are no mains, plan for a well and a treatment system.
Buying land: boundaries and encumbrances
In the Land Register, check the owner, mortgages and encumbrances. On the cadastral map, look at the boundaries and compare them with the site. How to do that is covered in the article on land boundaries on the map.
- Protection zones: power lines, gas pipelines, riverbanks and lakeshores
- Protected nature area or micro-reserve
- Flood zone
- Contaminated or potentially contaminated sites in the register
- Drainage ditches and land drainage
- Boundary markers on site and boundary mismatches on the map
Buying farmland
Buying a larger area of farmland can come with extra requirements. If a private person's total farmland would exceed 10 hectares after the deal, the deal usually needs approval from a municipal commission, and a co-owner, a tenant or the Latvian Land Fund may have a right of first refusal.
A small plot for a house in an area zoned for building is usually not affected. If in doubt, ask a notary before signing.
Price
Land prices per m² vary a lot even within one village: the road, utilities and what may be built decide much of it. Compare with deals nearby, not only with listings. More in the article on land prices.
Common questions
How do I find out if I can build a house on a plot?
Open the spatial plan on geolatvija.lv, find the plot's functional zone and read its building rules. You can also ask the municipal building board.
What is a road easement?
The right to drive or walk across someone else's property. To be safe, it should be recorded in the Land Register.
Can anyone buy farmland in Latvia?
Larger areas come with extra requirements and a municipal commission check. They often do not apply to small plots, but check your case with a notary.
Sources
- Ģeoportāls: teritorijas plānojumi · Latvijas ģeotelpiskās informācijas portāls
- Kadastra informācijas sistēma · Valsts zemes dienests
- Likums "Par zemes privatizāciju lauku apvidos" · likumi.lv
- Zemesgrāmatu portāls · Tiesu namu aģentūra
This article is for information only and is not legal, financial or tax advice. It may contain mistakes or be out of date, so check it against official sources or with a specialist before you decide. m²cena accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of the information in this article.