After concluding a land purchase and sale agreement, many owners believe that the most difficult stage is already behind them. However, in practice, it is the first step — legal and technical preparation of the land for development — that becomes a source of key risks for the business.
This was told by Anna Makarenko, a businesswoman and expert in occupational health and fire safety, who supports enterprises at all stages of project implementation - from land to commissioning.
"The most common mistake is to start design or construction work without resolving basic issues regarding the land. Having a purchase and sale agreement or lease does not mean that the site is ready for construction," — the expert notes.
According to Anna Makarenko, the first mandatory stage is a properly executed right of ownership or lease of the land plot, which legally allows further procedures to begin. If the intended purpose of the land does not correspond to the planned object, it is necessary to go through the procedure of changing it, otherwise the project remains vulnerable to stopping at any stage.
No less important is the conduct of geodetic, geological and topographic surveys. It is these data that form the basis for design decisions and directly affect the safety of the future facility.
"Without engineering surveys, it is impossible to correctly develop project documentation. Mistakes at this stage later turn into rework, additional costs, and legal problems," — emphasizes Makarenko.
The next critically important block is obtaining urban planning conditions and restrictions, as well as developing a sketch of development intentions. These documents determine the parameters of the object and permissible construction conditions. In parallel, the owner must obtain technical conditions for connection to utility networks.
The expert pays special attention to the project documentation, its examination and, if necessary, environmental impact assessment. It is at this stage that inconsistencies are often discovered, which can lead to a refusal of further approval.
After passing the examination and issuing the declaration on the start of construction work, you can proceed directly to the construction of the facility. However, even at this stage, the work with documents is not completed.
"Business often mistakenly believes that construction is the final stage. In fact, there is still an energy efficiency report, a technical passport, a declaration of readiness of the facility, and state registration of ownership. Without these steps, the facility is not legally considered completed," — explains Anna Makarenko.
According to her, a systematic approach to the first stage after purchasing land allows businesses to avoid work stoppages, fines, and problems with putting the facility into operation.
"Land and construction are the foundation of a business. If it is laid incorrectly, all subsequent stages are at risk," — the expert summarizes.
