Owning land is pretty easy – it rarely takes a lot of effort. But when you want to sell, that can be a different story. Do you own land and are wondering, “How do I sell my Florida land to a developer”? At ExpressLandOffers, we’re often asked that question so we wrote this blog post to answer it for you…
First, it’s important to know what developers are looking for
A developer wants to be able to build on the property and sell it, so they’re probably looking for property that is close to infrastructure and services (like water, sewer, power, and roads). After all, they’ll need to connect these services to their development and they’ll want people to get to their development!
It’s okay if the land isn’t serviced but developers will probably want to know how far away the services are and whether those services are being actively worked on by the city.
Second, you may want to bypass the real estate agent
A lot of real estate agents tend to work with residential homeowners who are looking to buy a house to live in. If you’re wondering “How do I sell my land to a developer?” you may need to find someone who specializes in selling land to commercial businesses. (Alternatively, you might consider getting in touch with us to buy your land from you – we’re not developers but we do buy land).
Third, be aware of zoning when wondering “How Do I Sell My Land To A Developer?”
Developers will be looking to build, which may include potentially subdividing and doing additional work on the land. They’ll want to know how your property is zoned so they can anticipate the work required to build. Of course zoning can often be changed but zoning changes will just add to their timeline and workflow so it’s helpful for developers to know up-front how the land is zoned.
Fourth, be aware of the path of new construction
This one is harder for land owners to know but this will be an important consideration that the developer is thinking about: If your land is not inside a city then a developer will probably want to know if the city is growing in the direction of your land. (Even if the city is not growing toward your land, that’s okay but developers will want to know). You don’t have to know this answer yourself but if you do, that will be helpful to developers.
Fifth, get your title clear
This may seem obvious, but title issues are more common than you think and they will deter developers and delay sales. Unregistered land, missing documents, restrictive covenants, boundary problems, lack of easements, or rights of access or rights of way- these can all be resolved but it is better to address the issue early and ensure the title is good and marketable. Does your land have direct access onto the adopted highway? This is one of the key things developers look for.
Sixth, environmental issues
The first thing that springs to mind when environmental issues are mentioned is “contaminated land”, but in this scenario, what is more likely are potential flooding or drainage problems. A history of flooding or waterlogging is clearly not going to be welcome news for a developer, but equally if the land has been used for potentially contaminative uses in the past or is near to sources of contamination, remember that remedying any actual contamination is costly and will significantly affect the value of the land. Any past surveys or reports that have been carried out should be to hand, if required.
You see selling raw land to a developer can be challenging because it’s a very different kind of buyer. But if you’re wondering, how do i sell my land to a developer, then these 6 tips will help you.