What to look for when purchasing Land
I will be the first to admit that buying land in the British Virgin Islands can be complicated and sometimes a frustrating process. Within this article, I hope to demystify the art of purchasing your first land lot to make it your own. If your finances areright, you have enough for a down payment, and you have already had a quick conversation with the bank; allow me to help you navigate how to purchase a piece of paradise.
There are 3 main things to consider when purchasing property, they are grade of the land, access to the land and the view.
The grade of the land or the steepness of the land can affect your buildable area. Steeper land requires more square footage of buildable space to construct. The contours, which gives an indication on the steepness of the land, can be viewed on the topographic map; commonly referred in the BVI as an Aerial. If the lines on the contours are close, the land is steep where as if the lines are spread out, the land is not as steep. Ask your Real estate Agent for a copy of the Aerial to have an idea of the grade of the land.
The location of the road access is important when viewing the land. Your real estate agent should be able to give you a survey map and point out to you the location of the road access. During due diligence period, after you have an offer accepted, you should hire a licensed surveyor to physically show you the boundaries of the property and the road access. The access of your road should also be listed on the title of the property which can be obtained from the Land Registry
Last but not least is the view. Ocean view, beach view or hillside view, it is important that you as the buyer know what you would like to see when you wake up in the morning. This is a personal choice and should be a major factor in your decision.
There are other aspects of land that should be considered such as pavement of the road access, covenants on the land, location of utilities and anomalies on the land such as waterways aka ghuts. Be sure to ask your Real Estate agent all these questions and if you are looking for expert land advisors be sure to contact Emerald Properties BVI so we can guide you to the perfect piece of land for you.
