Land price letter 2025

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Residential construction
3. Office and commercial plots
4. Social facilities
5. Public space
6. Small green spaces
7. Leasehold
8. Right of superficies 
 

1. Introduction

This Land Price Letter provides a point-by-point overview of the prices per square meter (excluding VAT) for plots in the municipality of Aalten. The prices are described in ranges, so that a distinction is made between locations (and centers) and some room for negotiation remains. A price is given per type of land use. Specific prices have also been assigned to ongoing projects in which residential or commercial plots are still being issued.

Objectives of the land price letter

• Unambiguous policy: similar cases are treated objectively and equally.
• Transparency: market parties, residents, and administrators are provided with insight into the land price policy and the methodologies used by the municipality of Aalten to determine land prices.
• Support: openness, uniformity, and objectivity increase acceptance of the prices charged.

Above all, our municipality aims to use its municipal land price policy to apply functional, optimal, and market-based land prices that support the spatial developments and objectives/ambitions desired by the municipality without having to draw on municipal resources. Having a uniform and objective land price policy and annual recalibration of land prices contributes to counteracting (the appearance of) state aid.

Starting points

The following principles are taken into account in broad terms:

• Unless otherwise stated, land prices in this Land Price Letter are buyer's costs (k.k.) and exclude VAT, transfer tax, and/or indexation.
• Unless otherwise stated, the land for sale is ready for construction and suitable for its intended purpose; - the land will be delivered in the condition it is in at the time of sale;
• Land prices stated in existing agreements that deviate from the prices stated in this Land Price Letter will be respected (also when updating the municipal GREXs);
• Land for which price agreements have been made and which is returned to the municipality and reoffered in 2025 will be subject to the land prices included in this updated Land Price Letter 2025;
• A number of land prices take into account a bandwidth, which includes a minimum and maximum land price;
• For land sales for which no (bandwidth for the) land price is included in this Land Price Letter and/or for which there is insufficient expertise within the municipality to determine the current market value, the land will be appraised by a certified independent appraiser;
• The Land Price Letter is determined annually by the mayor and aldermen and submitted to the council for information purposes.
• The Land Price Letter is public and is published on the municipal website.
   

2. Housing construction

Land prices for residential construction vary depending on the location, setting, and type of home. For multiple types of homes, there is a range in price. The actual price depends on the location within the municipality of Aalten.

Social housing

"A social rental property is a property where the initial rent is below the threshold referred to in Article 13, paragraph 1, under a, of the Rent Allowance Act, and where its maintenance for the intended target groups is guaranteed for at least ten years after it is occupied." For social rental housing (ground-level), a fixed land price per plot (plot area up to 150 m²) is charged; if the plot is larger than 150 m², a surcharge per m² applies. For stacked social housing/multi-family housing (non-ground-level), a fixed land price per apartment is assumed. The land price is determined on a comparative basis.

Affordable purchase

Affordable owner-occupied homes are defined as homes with a maximum freehold price (v.o.n. price) based on the 2025 affordable purchase limit. This maximum price is set annually in the Land Price Letter. A lower range applies to the land price per m², which is determined comparatively.
Within this range, there is room for variation based on geographical location within the municipality (centers) and location within the planning area.

Private sector housing

Homes above the annually determined v.o.n. price are considered private sector homes. For these homes, which are often project-based, a range applies per housing segment within which the land price falls. The range is determined on the basis of good reference issues, which are determined comparatively and often also tested residually.
 

*1 A tiny house is a fully-fledged, detached dwelling with a floor area of no more than 50 square meters.

3. Office and commercial plots

Definition of office space: a building in which at least 50% of the gross floor area is suitable and/or intended for use as office space.

Definition of commercial space: a building in which at least 50% of the gross floor area is intended for use as commercial space; any office space must be subordinate to this.

Land prices for the allocation of land for office and commercial space are based on market prices per location and plot. The land price is determined using a comparative method by comparing and aligning with locations in the surrounding municipalities and/or appraised by an independent appraiser. A range has been set for land prices for plots for office and commercial space because these land prices are strongly influenced by location, visibility, accessibility, scarcity, parking facilities, permitted activities, and maximum floor space that can be realized. In the case of stacked construction, an additional surcharge may be calculated on top of the land price if the fsi2 is greater than 1.
 

4. Social facilities

Social facilities can be divided into two groups, namely:

• Non-profit social services
• For-profit social services

Non-profit social services

Social facilities are primarily understood to mean social, cultural, and societal facilities that are not for profit (often associations and foundations):

• Government facilities such as fire stations and police stations
• Educational institutions
• Care and nursing institutions, non-profit (para)medical facilities
• Religious facilities
• Sports facilities and welfare facilities such as libraries and community centers

These facilities are subject to a land price that is determined comparatively and/or, in the case of a more complex issue, appraised by a certified independent appraiser. The land price is based on parking on private property. In the case of social facilities, the municipality reserves the right to calculate a land price per m² GFA if the FSI is greater than 1.
Non-profit social facility
€125 to €150 per m2

For-profit social services

More and more social services are being operated on a (semi-)commercial basis. This is the result of government withdrawal and increased market forces in the social sector. As a result, these services are classified as for-profit enterprises. 

Examples of this are

• Daycare centers
• Recreational facilities
• Gyms
• Privatized utilities
• (Para)medical facilities

*2 The Floor Space Index (FSI) is the coefficient that indicates the degree of stacking of a building in relation to the plot. The index is high for many layers/floors and zero if the land is not built on.

5. Public space

Public space refers to space that is accessible to everyone. Places that fall under the category of public space include streets, squares, and parks. The municipality is responsible for the management and maintenance of public space. In principle, the municipality does not sell public space to third parties. However, the municipality does acquire public space from third parties. This is done for a symbolic amount of €1.

6. Chopped greens

In the context of climate adaptation and biodiversity, the municipality of Aalten strives to preserve as much green space as possible. This allows public spaces to contribute more effectively to reducing heat stress and flooding and to supporting biodiversity. However, not all green spaces are accessible and maintainable by the municipality, so the municipality wants to give residents with adjacent plots the opportunity to purchase them. Options for private individuals to take over such a plot from the municipality are described in the 'Sales Framework for Public Green Spaces 2024'.

The starting point is the sale of land, and in exceptional cases, leasing may be considered. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis when applying to lease land. If the land in question has not been leased before, the initial lease price per square meter of green space or residual strip will be 5% of the sale price per year.

7. Lease

Leasing is a personal right whereby municipal land is made available for use by an agricultural entrepreneur. Leasing is subject to the rules of lease law and the Lease Price Decree. For this reason, parties have only limited freedom to make their own agreements.
Lease agreements are assessed by the Land Chamber. Agricultural land is leased at a fixed price per hectare, which is determined annually by the Land Chamber for each region, or on the basis of market forces in the context of liberalized leasing.
Liberalized leasing is only possible for separate plots of land. This form of leasing is more flexible than regular leasing because there are fewer legal rules. The costs of registration with the Land Chamber are borne by the lessee, unless otherwise agreed. The lease takes place by means of an (annual) lease agreement.

8.Right of superficies

The right of superficies is a (property) right to own buildings, structures, or plantings in, on, or above another person's immovable property. If a right of superficies is established on municipal land, the municipality remains the owner of the land. The superficiary is the legal owner of the superstructure. The costs of establishing a right of superficies on municipal land are borne by the superficiary and are mainly used in our municipality for buildings belonging to (sports) associations. This often involves a rent-dependent right of superficies. An annual fee (retribution) is charged for this right. The right of use (right of superficies) is based on 5% of the value of the land and is indexed annually (CBS-CPI). This may be related to regional standards as determined annually by the Land Chamber (grassland in the eastern livestock farming area) or based on market forces. A minimum initial amount of €100 applies to cover administrative costs.