Land and farms for sale in El Menzah

It has to be said from the outset: in El Menzah, there are no farms and no farmland. The delegation has been fully built up for decades, from Menzah 1 to El Manar 2, and bare land has become a rarity. What appears under the land heading is building plots of a few hundred square metres, most often freed up by the demolition of an old villa, or lots left empty in an old housing estate, held by a family for years.

The supply is therefore limited and changes from one week to the next: the rare parcels put up for sale are mostly offered by private sellers, heirs or long-standing owners. For larger areas or lower prices, the land for sale in Tunis governorate gives the measure of the market, and the neighbouring governorates of Ariana and Ben Arous offer more land.

Who buys land in El Menzah

Three profiles share these plots. Families who want to build their villa in the neighbourhood where they grew up, and who accept a high price to stay in Menzah 1 or Manar 1. Small developers, who buy an old villa to demolish it and put up a building of three or four storeys, where zoning allows; it is this trend that is gradually transforming Manar 2 and some streets of Menzah 4. And professionals, looking for a site for a clinic, a private school or a company head office near the Centre Urbain Nord business district.

In these sectors, a square metre of building land rarely goes for less than 1,500 DT (Tunisian dinars) and climbs far higher on the best streets; a much lower price raises questions about buildability or the title. Often, the only way to get a plot is to buy a house to demolish, presented among the property for sale in El Menzah rather than as land.

Zoning: what the plot really allows you to build

Before talking price, you need to know what you will be able to build. The urban development plan sets, for each zone, the permitted use, the height, the number of storeys, the setbacks from the street and the neighbours, and the plot ratio. In a villa zone, a buyer who hoped for a small apartment block will find that only a detached house can be built. Ask the municipality's technical department for a planning certificate or an information note on the plot: it is that document, not the listing, that counts.

Check the easements too: a power line, a pipe, a right of way to a neighbouring plot can reduce the usable area. On a corner lot, the mandatory setbacks sometimes eat up a large share of the land. For an apartment building project, have an architect cost the floor area that can really be built before signing a preliminary agreement: that, more than the area on the title, determines the value of the lot.

Title, utility connections and demolition

Insist on an up-to-date individual land title, with the exact area and the list of owners. Land in El Menzah is often held in undivided shares between heirs; a sale without everyone's agreement does not stand. Have the plot surveyed and marked out by a surveyor if the boundaries are old or disputed.

As for utilities, the delegation is served everywhere, but water and sewerage access for a given plot must be checked with SONEDE and ONAS, and electricity with STEG, especially if the demolished house was old and its connections out of use. Finally, factor the cost and timing of a demolition, permit included, into your budget. For a business project rather than a house, compare with the offices and shops for sale in El Menzah, which sometimes spare you from building.