I have a plot: where should I start?

Gather what already exists

Prepare the location, cadastral reference, ownership documents and any available drawings or studies. Add photographs of the access and the land. If documents are missing, record that: an incomplete but organised folder is more useful than certainty based on memory.

Describe your intentions too: a main or holiday home, who will occupy it, essential spaces and the available budget. Separate the total investment you can afford from the amount you have in mind for construction. The project may involve other items that need to be identified before making a decision.

Check before drawing

Ask the appropriate professionals to review the plot’s conditions and consult the local council about the applicable planning information. Do not infer what you can do from what has been built next door. The findings should be documented, alongside questions that remain open.

Ask about access, available services, topography and constraints that could affect how the building sits on the site. This list guides the conversation; it does not replace a technical review or establish on its own that the land can be developed.

• Which documents are missing, and who will obtain them?
• Which finding could change the decision to proceed?
• Which preliminary costs should be considered alongside construction?

Agree a concrete first step

With that basis, define a limited initial study: what will be reviewed, which documents you will receive and what decision you want to make when it is complete. At Madercon, this is commissioned and paid work, with scope and fees agreed before it begins.

The €20,000 threshold relates to the construction budget when assessing the management approach, not to the price of the study. It also does not establish a plot’s viability. The useful next step is to share the municipality, documents and needs; then we can assess which commission makes sense.