Hi
I would like to move to Kunming (i live in Switzerland) and i would like to build a prebab modular home (a big house made of 10 containers)
Is it difficult to find a lot and to build the house?
What's the best procedure?
Are there legal problems?
Thanks

Probably you know, that for the residential lot you can only get a lease (70 years), as all land in China is owned by state or town collective.

Yes, a bit annoying law but i can deal with it

I doubt you will be able to built it here. You can't buy land especially since you are not a Chinese national. Why not buy the thousands of condo already made？

I dont't want to buy land, just to build a house on top of it

Such a situation is possible though comes with the obvious questions of legal protection that building or living on someone else's land under an informal arrangement will offer.

You are highly unlikely to find 'gratis' or cheap land near a major city.

I can think of a few examples of foreigners building or living on land owned by others already, some are in the Dali region, others in very remote locations. Some pay rent, others receive offers from local friends gratis.

While I haven't personally visited any of these, a couple of years ago I was planning to do an off-grid house myself in New Zealand. A local architect friend who I spoke to advised me to consider modular systems for speed and ease of deployment (by helicopter, due to the remote location) and so I spent a lot of time reading about these sorts of systems.

You would need to be very aware of the probable lack of utilities... water, sewerage, power, communications. A good solution for power in remote locations is to use less and install a limited output sustainable system, or in a less remote location just run the cables from an existing serviced location and install a meter on it yourself... not uncommon and not really a regulatory issue in China. For communications, in all but the most remote locations point to point wifi is possible (can easily do 5-10 kilometers given line of sight).

Why a large house? You can see some shipping containers in architectural use at the 1919 art district in Kunming.

If I were you I would consider renting for awhile to get used to China before embarking on a building project.

Thanks Voltaire for your exhaustive reply:)

Connecting to utilities could be a problem too.

I know a fella who did something similar in Hubei province.
Yes, it can be done but almost impossible in a city or in the areas immediately surrounding it.
You'll have to go somewhere remote where the government is accessible, where fewer people hold more power.

Think cheap, think remote, think of all different ways you are going to hold on to what you have further down the line.

China's land policies aren't quite Zimbabwe but it's not Switzerland either.

Hans66, It can be done. Many difficulties of course. Our lawyers can do the contracts and agreements. It takes time and planning with a budget to be sure. Land use periods can be renewed here. Any property can be taken by eminent domain with compensation by a government in most countries any way, even Switzerland. You should have experienced, in Yunnan, operations and business, local persons work with you. Your residency and permits to live and work in China need to be considered by you. We know experienced in China western building designers here. If you really want to do this PM me.