Lollyg

Hi . I’m new to this . I’m thinking of buying a house in a small village. It needs completely doing up inside. My concern is that it has no utilities connected . By law do they have to connect them for me .
thank you

Red Eric

Who - the vendor of the property?

Or do you mean the companies that supply the utilities, if you request connections after you've purchased?

Lollyg

hi Eric
sorry, I mean the “companies that supply the utilities “ once I’ve purchased it.

Loafing Along

Worthwhile finding out what utilities the neighbours have and which company supplies them .

macliam

... and finding out what the connection costs are.... and if permissions are needed (due to building standards).

ouriquejan

And also is it "town" water and "town" waste, or your own.

Lollyg

thank you .. will try to find out

Lollyg

thank you will find out

coleio

Who ever is the local estate agent should have idea of the local utilities situation but as you can have such things agreed beforehand and written into the promissory (as you local Lawyer will have advised) such as "water supply und 1.5Kw electric will have been connected and a septic tank of 2000L installed at least 2 weeks before sale" so if the vendor does not do this then they forefit whatever fee is written in the promissory contract.

liveaboard

Because it has no services, I doubt this house is legally habitable, as in having a habitation license.
To get power and water connections, it will need a habitation license; to be renovated legally as well as physically. An expensive and time consuming prospect, an architect has to submit plans for planning permission, and licensed builders and tradespeople have to do the work. The usual time frame is 1 to 4 years.

The original question remains unanswered; do utility companies HAVE to connect services?
I'm not sure, but I think so.
Anyway, when services are close by, they always do. Sometimes it takes a while. You can get temporary connections for the building work itself.

Red Eric

I'm not particularly well up on building matters but the OP only mentioned interior renovation - that wouldn't require planning permission or an architect, would it (assuming it doesn't also consist of a change of use)?

coleio

It depends on being classed as habitation or not, habitation allows unplanned modifications (there are some T + Cs) whereas no habitation needs the full PP process Same as the electric etc. can be connected to a "Rustic" plot but the connection is classed as agricultural - ie for a water pump- and not to be used for domestic purposes such as living in a cow shed.

riv

Isn't a property ( which has been used for human habitation ) which predates ? 1951? automatically qualified for Habitation ? I.e. does not need specific permission/s from the Camara ?

The original poster has not, as such, stated what the property has been used for in the past. I can understand inhabitants managing without electricity, and even sewerage if they have a big enough quintal for some kind of septic tank, but difficult to imagine how they got by without any form of water pipe ??

Is it a farm building, rather than a house, as such ? Surely the estate agent can answer all these questions ?

riv

Have you, as such, asked the estate agents, or current owners, about utilities connected ?

Pipes may be there but not immediately visible. Your main issue will be water and sewerage. One can imagine surviving with a solar electric panel for elec. if necessary. Log burner for heating in winter. Out of interest where is the village ? What is the attraction of the place ?

Lollyg

I have no estate agent or lawyer. My friend lives in the village. He found out that the house was for sale through friend/neighbour.
the house adjoining the property is exactly the same as mine and has all facilities. But we don’t see them much as they are hardly there.