Land and farms for sale in El Mourouj

El Mourouj was, originally, a piece of land: hundreds of hectares of farmland between Ben Arous and Fouchana that the AFH, the state land agency, parcelled out from the 1980s to make a new town. Forty years later, almost all of it is built. What is left for sale falls into four families: infill plots in the older cites, the last serviced lots of Mourouj 5 and Mourouj 6, tired houses sold at land value to be demolished, and, on the fringe towards Fouchana and M'hamdia, still agricultural parcels whose zoning is not always what the seller claims.

The online supply can be counted on the fingers of one hand, posted mostly by private individuals and heirs, and there is no farm properly speaking in the delegation. For a working farm, an olive grove or a plot of several hectares, look at all the land and farms for sale in Ben Arous governorate, out towards Mornag, Khelidia or M'hamdia.

What still sells: infill plots, AFH lots and houses to demolish

In the cites of Mourouj 1 to 4, land for sale in Mourouj is almost always an infill plot: a lot of 150 to 300 m² that the first allottee never built on, often left in joint ownership between heirs. It fetches a high price per m² because it sits in the middle of everything, utilities in place, school and market on foot. The other common form is the 1980s house sold at land value: the buyer demolishes the original ground floor and rebuilds a ground floor plus two storeys with two floors to let, which is why these listings are sometimes found among the houses for sale in El Mourouj rather than here.

Mourouj 5 and Mourouj 6 hold what remains of genuine building plots: parcels of 250 to 500 m² from the last subdivisions, for single houses or small apartment blocks. A plot in Mourouj 6 is the most sought after in the delegation, and its price often tops a thousand dinars per m² for a corner lot or one with a good aspect. Lots of AFH origin come with a set of specifications: limited height, mandatory setbacks, a deadline to build; it passes to the buyer and is worth reading before drawing the house.

Bir Kassaa, Fouchana and the agricultural fringe

Land for sale in Bir Kassaa is of a different kind: business parcels near the wholesale market and the industrial zone, bought by wholesalers, hauliers or craftsmen to build a warehouse. The industrial or service designation must appear in black and white in the development plan, and heavy vehicle access should be checked on site, preferably on a market morning.

Towards Fouchana and M'hamdia, the town stops and the fields begin. Parcels there are offered "to build on" when they are zoned agricultural or lie outside the development perimeter: building there amounts to building without a permit, with the demolition risks and the impossibility of a legal utility connection that this implies. Before discussing the price, ask the municipality what the parcel is zoned for in the urban development plan (PAU). If it is agricultural, the change of use is neither quick nor guaranteed.

Blue title, approved subdivision, joint ownership: the file

The first words to say are "blue title": a plot registered with the land registry, with an up-to-date title in the seller's name. Lots from the AFH generally have this clean file, which is one of their great advantages. A plot sold on a simple private deed, or whose title is still in the name of a deceased relative, first needs a succession or a registration, and the bank will finance nothing before that.

For a lot in a private subdivision in Mourouj 5 or 6, ask for the subdivision approval order and the acceptance report for the servicing works: lots are sometimes sold before the roads, water and sewerage have actually been signed off. Have the parcel surveyed by a licensed surveyor before paying the balance, and budget for registration duties, the fees of the person drawing up the deed and the connection costs for STEG, SONEDE and ONAS (electricity, water and sewerage).

Build or buy built: do the sums before searching

In El Mourouj, free land is rare and expensive, and the cost of building a well finished two-storey house comes on top of an already costly lot. Before committing, compare the total with what a recent house in Mourouj 6 or a new apartment in a residence is worth: the property for sale in El Mourouj page gives the ballpark figures. Building remains the right choice for a family that wants a ground floor for the parents and two floors for the children, or for anyone who already holds land by inheritance and is only looking at the neighbouring lots to expand.