Can I build on rustic land?

There is a very common doubt among those who want to live in the countryside: "Is it possible to build on rural land? We explain it to you, with our tinis® as an example.

By Ricardo Domínguez MedinaLiving or spending time in a second home located in the middle of the countryside requires an important and essential prior step: choosing the right place, with the certainty that the regulations allow to build (or install, in our case) on that land, which most certainly will have the consideration of rustic land. Therefore, in this post we try to solve a doubt that haunts all those who dream of having a house in the middle of nature: is it possible to build on rural land? As you will see, the answer is not so simple, but here we tell you the most important things you should know.

It all depends on the Autonomous Regions and Municipalities.

The first thing you should know if you want to build on rural land is that... "it all depends": the competences in Territorial and Urban Planning are exclusively in the autonomous communities, so each of them has developed its own regulations about what is considered rural land and what exceptions can be applied to build on it. In addition, the local councils are responsible for applying these regulations to their own municipalities, deciding which projects comply with the law and which do not, granting or denying the appropriate licenses. Therefore, there is no single answer to the question of building on rural land, but 19 different ones (if we count the 17 autonomous communities and the 2 autonomous cities of Spain) or even thousands of them, one for each municipality of our geography.

What is rural land and what types are there?

It is interesting to know that all the autonomous communities, to a greater or lesser extent, classify rustic land in different categories, distinguishing between those natural rustic lands totally protected and others of a 'reserved' or 'reserve' nature, dedicated mainly to primary activities (agriculture, livestock, forestry development) or of social utility.These reserved rustic lands are those that admit certain exceptions as far as constructions are concerned. However, these exceptions are usually subject to very strict requirements, such as size, height, materials to be used, etc.

Possible exceptions for building on rural land

Our experience in the manufacture and installation of tinis® has put us in front of different exceptions when building on rural land, in different autonomous communities. One of these exceptions are the constructions or houses used by the owners of a large farm or land, necessary to develop their primary activity. In some communities they are called agricultural or agricultural housing, and their permit and size depend on the number of hectares of land .

A variant of this is the tool house, traditionally used to store farm implements, but which in some places can be used more extensively. These tool houses often have to have a maximum surface area of 35 m2, which is precisely the size of our tini® M. tini® M.Another exception for installing a structure in the field is its mobile character, that is, if it can be moved from one place to another, without being irremediably 'anchored' to the ground. This solution is interpretable and it is at the discretion of the technician of the municipality to admit it or not, in case the regulations do not specify anything in this regard.

The tini®, a possible solution

If we analyze the three exceptions mentioned above (and imagine others that may exist), we come to the conclusion that tinis® are a possible solution in very different contexts and in many autonomous communities. And it can be because...

• ... it is a module, which in some cases complies with the measures stipulated for housing on farms or livestock farms, or even as a farmhouse, especially the smaller models.
• ... its installation has such reduced implications that in some cases it can be classified as 'mobile' (if it is a single module). We remind you that, if the terrain allows it, we carry out reinforced slab foundations, that is to say, superficial, which does not have a great impact on the terrain and can be installed in just one week.
• ... are homes that can become 100% self-sufficient by installing a septic tank, water tank and solar panels.

In short:

All this leads to one conclusion: when building on rural land, it is best to find out in depth what possibilities exist in the municipality or municipalities you are considering. After that, you will be able to assess whether our tinis® are a suitable solution for your needs. As you can see, our solutions use environmentally friendly materials and have the best energy rating in terms of insulation.