Building in the city, a dream for many who wish to combine the assets of urban areas and their desire for home, greenery and space. But as the urban centers of South-West France develop and become more dense, the search for land on which to build a house becomes more and more difficult. Increased competition, scarcity of available land, regulatory constraints, etc., finding the ideal land in the city center to build your house is a real challenge. Nothing insurmountable, however, when you know how to surround yourself with trusted professionals.
Is it difficult to find land in the city in the South West?
In urban areas of the South-West, the demand for building plot is often much higher than the available supply. The region attracts retirees as well as teleworkers or employees looking for a dynamic region. This creates fierce competition between potential buyers which sometimes leads to price escalation and land speculation. Well-located land, close to shops, amenities and infrastructure, are particularly popular in this context.
How to choose the right land
Analyze the local urban plan
Finding land does not always mean that you can build the house you want there. It is necessary to analyze the rights and duties linked to this land. THE Local Urban Plan available at the town hall will inform you about the type of possible project: maximum height, footprint buildable, set back from roads or neighbors…
Take into account the orientation of the land in town
THEorientation of the land is also very important for the comfort and design of the house. A small plot of land in town does not always benefit from the ideal orientation, and can quickly raise the cost of construction.
Type of soil on land in town
Finally the soil quality is a parameter to take into account especially if your budget is limited, because poor quality flooring can quickly increase the cost of foundations. Here again, the expertise of a cindividual house builder will allow you to make informed choices without surprises in order to stick to your budget.
How to succeed in building in the city?
A solid budget for more responsiveness
Before getting started, you should quickly validate your budget with your bank. This way, you will be able to make an offer as soon as an opportunity arises. Goods in town are rather rare, and you will therefore be more assured of easily obtaining the desired property. The ideal once again is to be well supported throughout your project.
Demolition – reconstruction what permit?
The best-placed lands in downtown are rarely free from any construction. It is therefore often necessary to demolish certain existing buildings. Demolish to rebuild is often more advantageous than a complex renovation, because old houses, poorly renovated, are often only worth the price of the land. THE price of demolition/reconstruction is thus quickly amortized by the construction of a thrifty house energetic, comfortable and up to date. A permit to demolish is then required. As part of a building project, this request is integrated with that of the permission.
To go further on this subject, consult the article » Demolishing a house to rebuild: 7 reasons to start fresh "
Second line and plot division
Finding land is often the result of plot division. The owners of large lots in town, aware of their value, no longer hesitate to divide a land to make way for a new construction on the second line.
To go further, read the article “ South-West land: 13 reasons to be interested in parcel division »
The wooden house well suited to city land
Lighter and designed in the workshop, the timber frame house is a construction method particularly well suited to urban land. Less nuisance on these narrow and often difficult to access lands.
To find out more, read the article » Wooden house: all-terrain construction"
South-West which are the most attractive cities to build in town
Cities on a human scale for building in the city
The small towns in the South-West, like Bayonne Pays Basque or the towns of Gujan Mestras, Buch's Teste, on the Arcachon bay or the small towns of Toulouse region at the border of Gers attract enormously and are in full development. We are seeing a new enthusiasm for medium-sized towns because residents are eyeing these towns which combine greenery, proximity to the coast, comfort and lower prices.
Today, public authorities want to revitalize cities with a few tens of thousands of inhabitants, revitalize city centers and revive local commerce.
Bordeaux, Toulouse, large attractive metropolises for building in the city
Rare opportunities in the city center
In the old town centers of large cities, new houses are obviously rarer, but certain neighborhoods or peri-urban areas relatively close to the town center still remain accessible for individual house construction.
Great opportunities on the outskirts of big cities
THEAquitaine as'Occitania are regions where life is good. Toulouse, Bordeaux , Agen, Pau, Tarbes, the large megacities are very attractive. The developed transport network allows you to move away a little from the city centers to a comfortable outskirts.
Towards smaller plots of land to build in the city
« zero net artificialization » (ZAN), which aims to halve the rate of artificialization by 2030, and achieve ZAN in 2050. was established by the “Climate and Resilience” law, of August 22, 2021. The objective is a stronger limitation of urban sprawl. While the individual house constitutes the first source of land artificialization, 79% would prefer to live in an individual house rather than in collective housing.
Densification could be the way to reconcile the needs and desires to build in the city. In the near future, it could be considered encouraging homeowners to build new housing in their garden. the results of the Kantar survey show that 37% of French people consider that having a garden of less than 250 m2 is sufficient, while 34% would like it to be between 250 and 500 m2.
