Choosing a plot of land for residential purposes is a very difficult matter. Especially when you are selecting land for the construction of your own residence and not for business objectives. During this period a question strikes in our mind, "How to choose a residential plot in Nepal". If you are looking for an answer then you are in right place. Here you can get the answer to the question "How to choose a residential plot in Nepal"
A plot of land plays a vital role in the construction of your residence, its design, and most of all in your lifestyle. According to Wikipedia " In a real estate a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner(s) ".
From the above definition, we can say that a residential plot is a plot or parcel of land for the construction of a residential building.
You will read about the following things in this article.
- Brief history
- Land measurement system in Nepal
- What are the factors you should consider when buying a residential plot
- My suggestions
Brief histroy
Before gaining knowledge about residential plots, we should know about the land measurement system of Nepal. This will help you to dive into the topic really easily in a reliable way. The concept of the land measurement system was first introduced in Nepal by king Jayasthiti Malla. He divided the land into four classes according to the production of cops. He assigned Kshetrakar and Takshakar the work of measuring land and houses respectively.
King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shahdev introduced a modern system of measurement and weight based on the metric system. He introduced it through the standard measurement and weight act 2025(1968). He did it on the advice with and content of the Rastriya Panchayat.
Land measurement system in Nepal
After a brief history, let's gain some knowledge about the land measurement system of Nepal which will help you to get the answer to the question "How to choose a residential plot in Nepal". There are two types of measurement systems in Nepal according to geographical region. Terai region uses Bigha, Kattha, Dhur system whereas other parts of the country use the Ropani, Aana, Paisa, Dam system. Following is the conversion table for the land measurement system. It will be easy if you use an imperial unit. i.e. Sq.Ft to convert one land measurement system into another.
Measurement of the area in terms of Bigha
1 Bigha = 20 Kattha = 6,772.63 Sq.m = 72,900 Sq.Ft = 13.31 Ropani
1 Bigha = 20 Kattha = 6,772.63 Sq.m = 72,900 Sq.Ft = 13.31 Ropani
1 Dhur = 16.93 Sq.m = 182.25 Sq.Ft
Measurement of the area in term of Ropani
1 Ropani = 16 Aana = 508 Sq.m = 547 Sq.Ft
1 Aana = 4 Paisa = 31.80 Sq.m = 342.25 Sq.Ft
1 Paisa = 4 Daam = 7.95 Sq.m = 85.56 Sq.Ft
1 Daam = 1.99 Sq.m = 21.39 Sq.Ft
What are the factors you should consider when buying a residential plot
The first and most important thing is your lifestyle. By this I mean to say, you should always think of your lifestyle for analyzing any other factors relating to the plot selection criteria mentioned below. You should at least consider the following factors while buying a plot that will help you to answer the question "How to choose a residential plot in Nepal".
Location of plot
The location of your plot plays a vital role in your lifestyle. If your residence is far from your work, you will lose lots of time while commuting to work. Normally an Architect is brought into the scene only the designing state. It is advisable to involve him/her at the stage of buying the land itself. He/she can analyze if the plot is according to your residential needs and lifestyle or not.
Shape and size of the plot
The shape and size of the plot play a vital role in the design and construction cost of your building. The shape of the plot should be regular. In irregular plots, the owner must compromise more amount of land for creating good residential spaces. In addition to that, the construction cost of the building will also be more than in regular shape plots.
According to the recent rule of the Nepal government, the minimum size of the plot should be 3 Aana i.e. 684 Sq.Ft. during subdivision. If it is the case of property division between family members it can be less than 3 Aana. It is best to verify the plot size by measurement on-site with the help of an expert.
Cadastral map
A cadastral map is one of the most important things which you need to examine carefully. Previously blueprints were available but now trace maps are available. A cadastral map normally consists of land parcels with plot numbers drawn in scale. As mentioned previously, it is very important to verify the shape and size of the plot. Through a cadastral map, the shape and size of the plot can be verified as per government records. The shape and size of land should match on-site and in the cadastral map.
Land ownership document
It is advisable to verify the land ownership documents along with the cadastral map and shape and size of the plot. The shape and size of the plot, cadastral map, land ownership document, and plot of land should match each other. It will be safe to buy the plot if all of them match each other. It is advisable to take the help of an Architect for verification of all the documents mentioned here.
Access road
Access road plays a vital role in the improvement of your lifestyle. It plays an important role during an emergency situation like a fire or medical emergency. During the selection of a residential plot, you must consider this with priority.
Guided land development decides the width of the road in all the municipalities and rural municipalities in Nepal. It will be safe if you verify GLD from your local government while buying the residential plot. For that, you need to go to the GLD section in your local government office along with a trace map.
If you are building a new house, you must be careful about the right of way (ROW) and setbacks. ROW is calculated from the center of the road and set back is calculated from the ROW line. ROW defines the future width of the road. According to the rule of the Nepal government minimum width of the road is 13 feet. You can check ROW from your local government office if you take your trace map along with you. After ROW we must be careful about setbacks. The setback should be 5'-0" at any side where you want to have a window. Due to this reason, it is best to buy a residential plot which has a road on one side of the plot only.
High tension lines around the plot
We must be very careful of high tensions lines as they carry a very high voltage of electricity and can kill you within a minute if you touch them. Nepal government, municipalities, and Nepal electricity authority (NEA) have made the following rules that we should follow before design and constructing buildings if there is a high tension line.
| Level of electric Voltage | Minimum setback |
|---|---|
| 230/400 to 11,000 | 1.25m |
| More than 11,000 to 33,000 | 2m |
Another reason you must be careful with this rule is that NEA will not provide you municipal electrical meter or line if you do not follow this rule while design and constructing of building. You must be thinking bribes will work in Nepal and there is nothing to worry about. If you and thinking about this then let me tell you even a bribe will not work in this case. According to the data of NEA, there are 33% of such cases in Nepal.
Basic municipal facilities
It is very important to check the availability of basic municipalities like electricity, water supply, and sewer. It is best to check these facilities during the site visit. The best method of checking and verifying these facilities is an inquiry with neighbors. It is very important to verify these facilities because the absence of any of the above-mentioned facilities can make your family life harder.
Types of residential building you want
The selection of residential plots also depends upon the type of residential building you want to build. If you want to build a single-family residence, you will need at least 3.5 Aana of land as it is build to spend a quality family life.
If you want to build a small-scale multifamily residence for rental purposes you will need at least 4 Aana of land. The main reason is behind this is to provide basic facilities and easy accommodation for all the families living in it.
If you want to build a semi-commercial residence then you will need a minimum of 5.5 to 6 Aana land. Semi-commercial residences will accommodate no of business and which needs basic facilities like parking facilities, big circulation spaces, etc. All of these will require a big plot of land.
Plot facing
The facing of a plot plays a vital role in the comfort of your building. For hot places like the Terai reign of Nepal, north or north-east facing plots will be better. The main reason is to avoid the heat gain by the building during the day and to keep the house cool. Except for the Terai region, plots facing east, south-east or south direction will be better. Among the above-mentioned directions, the plot facing southeast is the best for cold and warm parts of Nepal. The main motive of selecting the plot as per above is to control the temperature of the building naturally as far as possible.
My Suggestions
- You should choose a residential plot according to your lifestyle and type of residential building you want to build.
- All the documents of the plot must match with each other
- For a residential purpose, choose a plot with the road on only one side.
- Plots facing north is best for hot parts of Nepal
- Plots facing east, southeast, and south is best for warm and cold parts of Nepal.
- I recommed a expert adivce for choosing a plot for your residential building.
I hope after reading the article you have now answer to the question "How to choose a residential plot in Nepal"
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