Selling land with an approved project: documents, price and buyers’ questions

Start with the actual status of the process

Before writing the listing, ask the architect and municipality to confirm the current position: the proposed development, applicable procedure, decisions issued, documents submitted, conditions and relevant deadlines. Identify the municipal file number and the version of the written and drawn project documents covered by each decision.

Prior information, architectural approval and a final licensing decision are different stages. For a licensing procedure, Portugal’s RJUE distinguishes the assessment of architecture, the submission of specialist projects and the final decision. Use the wording supported by the documents rather than describing every stage as ‘ready to build’.

Build a file that connects the plot to the project

Collect the permanent land-registry certificate, the tax property record and the information identifying the plot, owners and any encumbrances. The certificate shows registrations and pending applications; tax information and the municipal file have different functions. Compare references, location and areas without assuming that one document replaces the others.

Add any available topographical survey, project drawings and written descriptions, municipal decisions, specialist-project information and relevant payment receipts. If the land forms part of a subdivision, include the provisions applicable to the plot and its infrastructure. Mark missing documents and questions still awaiting an answer.

Give interested buyers the information needed to understand the transaction. Before sharing full documents or access codes, agree the process with the professionals handling the sale and protect unnecessary personal data. A sales folder can contain plans and a factual summary while other documents remain under controlled access.

Organise the property documents

• Identification of the plot, owners, encumbrances and pending registry applications
• Municipal file, decisions, conditions and identified project version
• An area schedule showing the source and definition of each measurement
• Specialist projects submitted and further information requested
• Fees paid, other known charges and deadlines to confirm
• Access, infrastructure, restrictions and questions still unresolved

Explain the areas without turning a sum into a promise

Plot area, building footprint, construction area, basement, garage and outdoor areas should use the definitions in the applicable documents. Do not add different measurements together and advertise the result as a single living area. Show the original schedule and ask the technical professional to explain what each field includes.

If the registry, tax record, survey and project show different figures, first establish whether they measure the same thing. Record the difference, its possible explanation and who needs to confirm it. Use verified information, with its definition and source, in the listing while the remaining questions are addressed.

A swimming pool in a marketing illustration, a suggested basement or a room shown in a preliminary study should not be presented as approved without confirmation in the relevant drawings and decisions. Separate the approved project, illustrative material and changes that would require further assessment.

Discuss the project’s usefulness when explaining the price

A project has commercial value when it fits what a buyer wants and its status is documented. It can provide a concrete design to study and identify work already completed. Its usefulness varies: a buyer who wants a different footprint, house layout or budget may place less value on it.

Compare plots with similar location, access, size, slope, infrastructure and planning context. Distinguish asking prices from completed transactions where reliable information is available. Then explain how the project relates to the plot and which dependencies the buyer would still take on.

Money spent on architecture, studies or fees does not automatically increase the sale price by the same amount. There is no universal percentage uplift for an approved project. Use documented expenditure and comparable information to support the discussion while keeping the price tied to actual demand.

How to prepare a property’s sale price

Use an example to make the listing more specific

Fictional example: an owner has a municipal decision approving the architecture for a house. The following stages and the requirements for starting work still need confirmation. The first draft simply says ‘land with approved project, immediate construction’. That last statement goes beyond what the available information supports.

A clearer draft would be: ‘Land with an approved architectural project for a house, according to the municipal decision and plans available for inspection. Process documents and current status provided to interested buyers. Conditions for starting work to be confirmed in the municipal file.’ Add location, price, areas and features using verified information about the actual plot.

If licensing has been granted and payments are documented, describe those facts accurately. Show the relevant date and document rather than promising that the buyer can begin work the day after purchase. Confirm the actual requirements before committing to that timetable.

Answer accurately when a buyer wants to change the project

Buyers often ask whether they can keep the approval and change the house. Ask them to identify the proposed changes and refer those changes to the architect and the applicable municipal assessment. An existing approval is not a general authorisation to build a different design.

Article 83 of the RJUE provides different procedures for changes during construction, including changes subject to a procedure and changes exempt from prior control. Do not promise that every change always requires an entirely new project, or that a pool, extension or change to the footprint can be made without formalities. A qualified professional should identify the procedure applicable to the case.

Also confirm what is covered by the handover and use of the project documents and how any changes will be handled with their authors. Record the documents supplied and the answers received in the sale file. A change requested by the buyer must not be presented as an approval already obtained.

Resolve deadlines, costs and continuation of the process before the CPCV

Obtain written confirmation of the deadlines relevant to the process and construction, any extensions and outstanding conditions. The RJUE regulates deadlines and possible changes; paid fees do not establish that the process will remain available indefinitely.

Before promising that the process can continue after the sale, confirm with the municipality and the legal professional which notifications, changes of applicant or other steps are required. Check rights to use the project and the documents to be handed over. Do not describe that continuation as automatic without examining it.

The promissory sale contract, or CPCV, should reflect the known position, attached documents, what the price includes, charges and conditions still awaiting confirmation. If the purchase depends on a planning characteristic, financing or a project change, the legal professional should express that condition appropriately before the buyer pays a deposit.

What to prepare before signing the CPCV

Prepare the sale with a short list of answers

Before publishing, be ready to show what is planned, where it is documented and what still needs clarification. A useful listing makes that first reading easier; an organised file lets the buyer and their professionals investigate further.

IMOJA can help organise the commercial information, present the plot, handle enquiries and forward offers within the agreed service. Planning, technical and legal validation belongs to the municipality and qualified professionals. Start by explaining where the plot is, which documents you have and the stage the project has reached.

Tell IMOJA about your plot

Explore IMOJA’s selling services

Buyer checks before the CPCV

• Can I identify the plot and explain each area with its source?
• Does ‘approved project’ refer to a specific decision and version?
• Are approved, illustrative and missing elements clearly separated?
• Do I know which deadlines, charges and conditions need confirmation?
• Is it clear what the buyer receives and which formalities must be handled?
• Do the listing and proposed terms correspond to the available documents?