Land in Luxor

If you are considering building a house or villa then you will be looking at buying a piece of land.

Buying land and having a house built is quite usual and can be very rewarding but it is extremely important that all the paperwork is correct so that once purchased you will actually be able to legally build and obtain electricity. The registration of land here is quite a minefield as you can be shown a piece of paper saying the person owns the land but many people can also have the same piece of paper so you are actually only buying a fraction of what you think you have bought. Often this is brought about by deaths in the family over the years where the land is shared out amongst various members of the family. This is where your own lawyer comes to your aid as everything needs to be checked with the courts and all relevant authorities so he has to be a lawyer who really knows what he is doing. If everything is correct this does not have to take a long time but, if everything isn't, you will have the information that will allow you to make an informed decision.

Can I Build on this Land?

Before you build there is much to take into consideration such as Antiquities Authority, Nile Authority, local council, Luxor council and more. All the authorities covering your piece of land have to agree so one piece of paper saying you can build just isn't enough.

This is where you need your lawyer but a good guide is to see what is around the land you are considering.

Is there anything ancient near by? If so it is very unlikely that you will be able to obtain legal permission to build and if there are already houses there it is likely that they have been built without permission and will have demolition orders against them but when that might happen is anybodies guess. Large areas of land on the West Bank of Luxor are owned by the Government so you must be really careful what you buy over there.

If everywhere is green fields then it is unlikely that you will obtain the correct permissions unless this area has had its classification changed. The agricultural land either side of the new road that extends Television Street out to the Mövenpick Road is such a case and much new building is taking place but the price of land there is now very high. Two lawyers that we trust have both told us it is illegal for a foreigner to purchase agricultural land but it is being sold via Orfi contracts which will not stand up in court.

If there are buildings around that are substantial, not mud brick, if there is electric near by, not borrowed from street lighting or the overhead cables and there is mains water then you could be looking at land you can build on. In Luxor absolutes are difficult to obtain especially as the locals think nothing of just building without any permission.

Points to Consider

When you have built your house or villa can you actually get to it without crossing somebody else's land. Just because it looks like a road doesn't mean that it is not privately owned. Problems will only start after the building is erected so check this with the office in town that has the official maps.

Do not buy on an Orfi contract. Though quick you will have parted with your money and the seller will be long gone before the problems start.

Ensure that the official paperwork is actually for the land you are buying.

IMPORTANT

From the e-mails and people we meet the same problems occur over and over again which can easily avoided.

Never, whatever else you do, never buy anything using a lawyer recommended by the seller or anyone who has shown you the land. You need your own lawyer who has an office that you go to and works on your behalf. It never ceases to amaze us that people are willing to give large sums of money to people in coffee shops just because a piece of paper is signed. There is a lot to sort out with buying land so don't expect it to be completed whilst you are here for a two week holiday and if it is then “buyer beware”.

Please do not let your guard down just because the person helping you or selling to you is married to a really nice European as business is completely separate from any form of friendship.

Do make sure that you get a receipt for all monies paid and that all signatures have the number from their identity card, which you look at and check. It is really best to do this through a lawyer and it doesn't cost much. This isn't about trust it's about doing things right and securing your purchase.

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