If you’re looking to buy land in Nepal, whether it’s your first time or you’re an experienced buyer, it’s a big investment. That’s why it’s crucial to do thorough research and choose a property that won’t become a headache. Buying land has much to consider, and everyone has opinions about it. The process can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to it. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of key warnings to watch out for, so you can make a smart, stress-free investment.
5 Warning Signs to Watch Out for Before Buying a House
- Legal works
- Flood-prone areas
- Access to water source –municipal water supply
- Unseen Land
- Ownership History
- Not being careful with the legal works:
Buying property involves a lot of legalities and paperwork, and it’s important to understand what needs to be done and how. Prior knowledge about the legal process helps you stay informed instead of blindly trusting whoever handles the paperwork. Being careful with legal matters can save you from potential issues such as ownership disputes, incomplete documents, zoning issues, undisclosed liabilities( unpaid taxes or loans, legal restrictions). Being legally smart makes the whole process smoother and more secure.
Flood-prone areas :
Nepal has many water resources, which makes the land near these sources more likely to face flooding. In flood-prone areas like the Terai region and riverbanks, properties often experience frequent water damage, which leads to declining land prices. This can cause problems while maintaining and reselling the land, which will result in more loss than profit.
Access to water source –municipal water supply :
If you are looking to build some property on the land you want to purchase than one of the key points to remember is to make sure the area or the municipality has access to clean water source such as piped water supply which is provides by KUKL (Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited) in Kathmandu which is sourced from rivers, groundwater, or reservoirs, treated, and distributed through pipelines, this is common in urban areas but is irregular. Another source is community water supply systems, which are managed by local committees in rural and urban areas; they are more reliable for smaller communities. Deep boring water supply, which is extracted from underground aquifers using deep boring pumps, is common in areas where the municipal water supply is insufficient. The water quality in this method varies and may require filtration due to high iron content in the water. Other sources are tanker water supply, rainwater harvesting, dhunge dhara(stone sprouts), et.c
Not buying land without seeing it first:
One crucial point to remember while buying land is seeing it first. When you see the land, you can personally analyze its actual condition and quality, its location and accessibility to infrastructure, neighbourhood, and zoning, and confirm boundaries. This is a huge risk as there are many factors that photos, documents, and verbal assurance cannot capture.
Ownership history:
Knowing the previous owners history of the land you want to purchase is essential to avoid any future legal, financial and personal risks as there might be a chance that land might be involved in ongoing disputes between family members, business partners or previous owners as if multiple people claim the land as their own you might be stuck in a long legal battles, another scenario can be that the owners are selling the land using fake documents and knowing the ownership history ensures that the seller has the right to sell the property. And in case of multiple previous owners, you can be sure that the land was transferred legally each time.
How to check ownership history:
- Check the land ownership certificate(Lal purja ) to verify the name of the owner in government records
- Get official records of past ownership transfers from the Malpot office( land revenue office)
- Check zoning laws and any future development plans from the local municipality office
- Talking to neighbours can also help as they can have information about the previous owners or any disputes.
