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Land for Sale & Self-Build Resources
“Since our launch in September 2008 MitehartLand have become the UK’s fastest growing Land For Sale, Self-Build, Building Plots, and Smallholdings portal...”
Finding Land For Sale
Looking for land for sale? It's the most difficult and frustrating part of self-building.
Use our Land For Sale Database
The first port of call for many would be self-builders is one of the land finding agencies that are in the main supported or directly run by property professionals.
Mitehart Land Database contains lists of upwards of 1,300 self-build land for sale,building plots and smallholdings at any one time. The most important information to be gleaned from the lists is which agents specifically and consistently deal in land. You can also deduce from them the going rates for plots in any area and general availability and distribution. To search Land For Sale now Click Here
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Consider Brownfield Sites
Telephone relay stations, gas regulators, pumping stations and electricity transformers all used to take up large areas of land in the middle of residential areas. In some cases, the buildings used to house these things were the size of small bungalows. Nowadays, the same processes can be accommodated in a smaller space and the land and buildings have become redundant, with planners often more than happy to see the street scene tidied up by replacement of these anachronisms.
The drawback with these plots is that the land could well be contaminated in some way or there might be a considerable amount of equipment and pipework left to remove. Additionally, provision for access to any replacement equipment might be needed and there may well be sterile zones.
Try writing to the various companies, explaining what you want to do and asking if they’ve got any surplus and suitable land for sale. Better still, get out there and identify these things yourself and then write or call in to ask them directly about a specific property.
Railtrack own many parcels of land, not all of which are close to railway lines. They have an Estates Department that actively seeks to develop and dispose of surplus land, although this resource is slowly diminishing after the bonanza of the mid 1990s.
Inspect the Planning Register
The Planning Register is open for public inspection, at no charge, in every local council office. The register lists all recent and current applications by a reference number that is also noted on an OS map of the area. From inspecting the register, it is possible to glean information regarding past consents and refusals, as well as the names of the applicants or their agents.
Outline applications are most likely to be of use. Some may have an agent as the main contact but most will give the name of the applicant. A short letter or a visit to the owners can elicit a response. At the very least it’ll let the owner know that you’re out there if his agents subsequently drag their heels over a sale. Remember, a sale to you could save them a fee.
Detailed or Full applications are less likely to draw a response but they are still worth a try. Private vendors are often very keen to get the money for their plots but remain apprehensive about what happens to the site – particularly if it affects their retained property. They might well be pleased to know just who will be buying their plot and what they intend to build, feeling that with you, rather than some faceless builder, they might have some control.
Learn to Spot Potential Plots
Get in your car and drive around the area in which you want to live, looking for plots. Despite all the dire warnings about buying land that doesn’t have planning permission, there are obvious circumstances where a piece of land can be considered as a plot and you might be able to spot this from a distance. You should be able either to take out an option to buy or exchange contracts, subject to receipt of satisfactory planning –º talk to your lawyer. Look out for areas where infilling has occurred and carefully seek out the undeveloped plot. Whilst the owners might have originally resisted selling, time can change things.
Look for unexplained gaps in the street scene. They could have been the village pond or be the route of a drain or service duct but they could just as easily be left over from history as an access to land at the rear that is no longer required. Ask around. Try to find the oldest person or the village busybody to identify vacant land that might lie behind hedges or walls. Get some flyers printed and deliver them door to door in chosen villages or streets, making it clear that you’re private individuals seeking to self-build and not developers. Put notice cards in shop windows, again making it clear that the land is for your own use rather than purely for profit.
Replace an Existing Dwelling
Most self-builds in the South East of England, as well as a substantial number in other parts of the country, are replacement dwellings. In the immediate aftermath of WWII, many people moved from the bombed out cities to the countryside and, in the absence of planning laws at that time, built themselves bungalows and houses from whatever material was available. As their occupants got older and died, they have filtered onto the market, often with an estate agent trying to sell them as a dwelling rather than as a plot.
By modern day standards, the buildings are unacceptable. However, the plots they sit on are, in many cases, far superior to most of the plots being created today. In addition, much of the normal housing stock built in the two decades after the war is now coming to the end of its useful life.
There are savings and advantages to these plots which generally far outweigh any demolition costs, in that services, drains, driveways, gardens and fences are already there. Beware of the fact that some authorities require any replacement dwelling to be restricted to a percentage increase over the size of the original. Make sure that Permitted Development Rights – what you can build without consent – are fully exercised before making an application.
Use a Plot Creating Agency
In America and elsewhere there are dedicated plot creating companies that buy up large sites, put in the roads and services and then sell off individual plots. The principle is now, at last, coming to the UK.
Homelands of England Ltd (01572 822111) and English Counties (01604 474414) are two such companies. They seek out and purchase large areas of land which have planning consent or identify land that might get consent and take an option on it, subject to planning. They then agree a full development brief with the planners, setting out the development criteria, including acceptable house types. The result is that formal planning, so long as it is within those parameters, is often unnecessary. Finally, having put in all the services, roads and sewers, they are ready to sell off the fully serviced plots to individuals.
Distinct from the land agencies, there are specialist agents who, for a fee, will undertake the personal plot search for you. Beware trying to offer an estate agent a fee for securing a plot. In the end, any reputable agent will always realise that they act for the vendor in obtaining the highest price and that they cannot entertain a conflict of interest. Agents that are prepared to accept such a commission are likely to be less than honest and are actually unlikely to produce results.
Check Out Property Auctions
An auction room is a daunting place for a private individual. Professionals have long since learnt to stylise their procedures and deliveries in order to make it a hostile environment for those not in the know.
In an auction, the highest bidder when the gavel falls is the successful buyer and contracts are exchanged there and then. Therefore, all legal work and searches have to be done beforehand and all finance must be in place. A number of properties fail to reach their reserve at auction and, therefore, even if you aren’t in a position to bid, it’s worth attending. That way you can deduce the reserve price and can make an offer by private treaty shortly afterwards.
Tenders are similar except that sealed bids are sent in to the agents and, unlike at a public auction, you don’t know the other bids or bidders. As if that weren’t enough, there is usually no obligation on the part of the vendors to accept the highest bid and there’s often a great deal of horse trading afterwards. Be aware of this and be prepared to join in this process immediately after the tender date.
Use HM Land Registry
Ordnance Survey maps can show up gaps in the street scene which might well be plots. They can also indicate areas where the density of housing is at variance with the norm or where it is apparent that infilling or backland development has taken place, often out of sight from the public view. Siteplans are also very useful for piecing together plots of land that may be stitched together to form a full plot. As long as access can be maintained at some point, owners might be willing to sell en masse if they’re assured that no major disruption will result — your status as a private builder will help you.
Make sure that you form legally binding options with the individual owners — any single owner will be in a position to hold you to ransom. The Ordnance Survey can be reached on 08456 050505. However, maps are in the end no substitute for getting out there and checking whether things are the same on the ground as they appear on plan.
If you identify a plot and have difficulty in finding out who the owners are, then it might be registered with HM Land Registry (0207 917 8888). A registered title includes details of the address and location, together with details of the owners and any charges, covenants and easements affecting the land. For a fee of £4 per title, you can send off for or inspect the indexed maps held by the Registry. HM Land Registry claim that around 78% of all properties in the UK are already registered with them.
Build in Your Own Garden
Before going out bothering prospective plot owners with offers to convert their garden into your dream plot, take a close look at your own home. Is your house in a street where the density of dwellings is rising due to large gardens being divided off as plots? If not, could it be possible that you could start the trend? Maybe your garden backs on to or is side on to another road where a new access could be formed. Maybe the rear garden is so long that it would be possible to create a new driveway down the side of your house and build at the bottom with very little detriment to your existing home, either in amenity or financial terms?
A visit to your local planning department will either confirm or deny your hopes and will cost nothing unless you decide to go for an application. Prepare the ground first, though, and look out for precedents that you can quote if necessary. If you live in a semi detached, an end of terrace house on a corner or between blocks in a high density location, consider whether or not there’s room to extend the terrace with another similar house attached to yours.
Ask the Local Authority
Some local authorities are well known for putting plots on the market specifically aimed at the Self-Builder – often taking precautions to make sure that builders or developers do not purchase them.
It is well worth ringing your local authority to ask what plots they have in this category and, if not, whether they have any plans to identify and release any in the future. Those that do so are pretty proficient at it and the plots they sell are often highly desirable, with all roads, sewers and services taken care of. It’s worth contacting the Estates Department of even those authorities that do not have a policy of identifying and releasing land for this purpose, as they do sometimes have spare bits of land that circumstance or history has left them with, that are suitable for a single dwelling. One H&R reader recently managed to find a plot in Islington, London, by contacting the local council.
English Partnerships (01908 692692) sell fully serviced plots in the new towns up and down the land but there is no doubt that this is a diminishing resource, with the notable exception of Milton Keynes, where there is still a ready supply of really good plots at sensible prices. However, many of these are still heavily oversubscribed upon release.
Use the Industry's Knowledge
Whilst they cannot always seek to provide a comprehensive and up to date list of plots, many of the self-build package deal companies and their local representatives might know of land that is available in your area.
Quite often, prospective vendors contact well known companies asking if they have clients looking for land. Do not expect the companies to tell you about plots that other clients are contemplating buying or building upon, but clients do sometimes have to drop out or are unable to proceed for reasons that have little or nothing to do with the suitability of the plot. In those cases, if you’re in touch with the staff it might well be possible to take over the contract and plot.
Local architects and surveyors often have a good knowledge of the plot situation in their area and, just like the package deal companies, there may also be a wastage factor in that – from time to time, clients might drop out of a project.
If you as a prospective customer can impress them with your keenness, then at a point where they are fearful that a lot of work could have been wasted, you could well be the answer to their problem.
Read the Papers
National newspapers and self-build magazines are a source of land details but local newspapers and classified papers are a far better one. Subscribe to the local papers in your chosen area and don’t forget that there’s quite a bit of overlap, so subscribe to the papers in the adjoining areas – not every plot will appear in every paper.
If you see a plot advertised then get onto it immediately — don’t wait for the weekend. If it is a private advertiser, play up the fact that you’re looking to self-build as an individual or a family. Vendors, especially those who will continue to live next door, are often apprehensive about any loss of control over what happens on the plot and you might well be able to put their minds at ease.
Newspapers work both ways – consider advertising for plots yourself. Be prepared for some time wasters, as well as to hear from vendors involved with the same estate agents who have told you they don’t have any land for sale!
Learn what to look for. Many development opportunities – such as potential replacement sites – may not be immediately obvious.
Self-build - Join the Club
Some builder’s merchants run self-build clubs where you can go along to meet other self-builders and attend meetings and seminars to discuss the subject in general, as well as trade topics and products. These clubs often run a land list in their regular newsletters and, by the nature of the merchant’s position in the market, often have insight into availability that’s denied to others. The Association of Self-Builders (01604 493757) try to keep their members advised of any plots that they hear of and keep a note of local authority plots.
At the moment, the Internet is not a powerful force for land sales but many estate agents are getting online and it’s worth keeping a check on www.property-sight.co.uk, where plots form a distinct category. This is a growing method of plothunting and has the added benefit that, as a medium, it can be instantly updated. The Plotfinder land and renovation database also has a web site at www. plotfinder.net.
Internet or email based discussion forums, while not designed to sell land, nevertheless throw up plots from time to time, particularly where someone wants to sell off one or more plots on a multiple site that they are buying or wants someone to join with them in buying a larger site.
Adopt Agriculture
Development of agricultural land in the open country is usually only allowed if it can be proven that it is necessary for the proper maintenance and running of a viable agricultural enterprise or approved rural industry. This does not mean that if you’ve got a couple of horses in the field you can build to be near them but if, on the other hand, you run a successful livery or riding stables, with a proven track record of economic viability, you might just get consent. It’s often easier to demonstrate necessity on larger farms but it is also possible to prove a need for a dwelling on smaller enterprises such as nurseries, intensive units and specialist growers, such as mushroom farming or vineyards. The important thing to realise is that the land and its use, rather than the design or size of the house, is paramount in the planning decision.
New enterprises are usually required to demonstrate that they have been successfully up and running for some time before a dwelling is finally approved and that it is really necessary for someone to actually live on site. This means that the applicants might well have to contemplate living in a mobile home on site for some time. Any consent that is granted might well limit the occupation of the dwelling to those engaged in running the enterprise, e.g. an agricultural, horticultural or forestry tie. These ties cannot be broken easily and will, therefore, limit the market value of the property. For this reason, lending is usually in the form of a commercial loan.
Deal Effectively with Agents
Estate agents sell land but in a buoyant market they’d far rather sell to builders or developers. That way they’ll not only get a fee for selling the land but a second fee when they’re instructed to sell the new house built on the site. The self-builder has to overcome this problem through persistence – it is not enough just to register with them and expect details to drop through the letter box.
Firstly, establish which agents in your chosen area actually deal with land so as not to waste time. Then go out of your way to cultivate a relationship with the staff. Drop in on a regular basis and ask for anything that’s come in recently. If you do get details of anything of interest, discuss it with the agents. If it’s unsuitable, make them aware of your reasons for not wanting that plot whilst reinforcing your actual requirements. Make a point of updating and checking your details and a particular point of asking for what’s coming up on the land front.
Estate agents are also retained by vendors to handle planning applications on prospective plots but are sometimes reluctant to divulge details until such time as they have specific instructions.
Divide Up a Multiple Plot
Self-build sites are often quite easy to identify by the mobile home on site and self-builders can be a surprisingly excellent source of information on land for sale. Nearly all of them will have had a long, hard search for a plot but Murphy’s Law determines that, having found it, they then continue to hear of others. Maybe they know of plots that they had considered before they finally settled on the one they bought.
Sometimes self-builders have double plots or obtain planning for more than one dwelling and want to sell off the spare plots. The chances are that when they do, they’ll try and sell to another self-builder through the self-build media or discussion forums, rather than through estate agents.
Sometimes, prospective self-builders will want to bid for a multiple site and will advertise for other self-builders to join in with them. In these cases, vendors are often reluctant to sell to multiple buyers, so it might be necessary for one party to purchase with collateral agreements to sell on the remaining plots to the others.
Convert an Existing Building
The UK is dotted with countless redundant and unoccupied buildings from old barns to shops, factories, water towers and churches, many of which, with flair and imagination, could be converted to residential use if only the planners would allow it.
The situation varies from area to area – some local authorities enthusiastically welcome the renewal and regeneration of these buildings, whilst others state that they’d actually prefer to see them fall down rather than contemplate them becoming homes. Check out your local authority’s standpoint on this one. If they are reluctant, it is often well worth making a case for a change of use or conversion. Take out an option or exchange contracts, subject to receipt of planning permission, before taking things too far, so as not to see your efforts, if successful, enjoyed by others.
Remember that what the planners and conservation officers are often afraid of is that buildings might be developed in an unsympathetic way. If you can demonstrate that you really want to preserve the essential aspects and historical relevance of the building, your case will be considerably strengthened.
The creation of a new dwelling through conversion of non residential buildings is zero rated for VAT. DIY converters can reclaim the VAT paid to subcontractors and on materials under Notice 719.
Create a Patchwork Plot
In all thoughts of plot creation, it’s normally a larger area of land or garden that’s subdivided in order to form a smaller plot. Think of this process in reverse and consider the possibilities of a small and non viable parcel of land taking on a completely different hue when added to by land from one or more adjoining ownerships. If, for example, you have a long narrow back garden and your neighbours either side of you have similar gardens, one of which fronts a viable access, then it might well be possible to stitch together the various areas to form a worthwhile plot, with little or no detriment to the occupancy or values of the existing houses.
The trick is to devise the scheme and tie it all up with legally binding options from each of the owners, allowing you to purchase in the event of satisfactory planning permission. Beware of trying to go too far without such an option as, once you’ve got planning consent, a single owner, maybe with landlocked land that has no intrinsic value other than as part of your potential plot, could hold you to ransom. Consult the OS maps for suitable opportunities.
Why Wait? Renovate
If you cannot find a plot, consider renovating an existing property instead. Renovation opportunities vary from almost complete rebuilds to properties that really just need a makeover such as a new kitchen or bathroom. Whilst renovating, maybe the solution to creating an individual home in a location where plots are scarce, unless the envisaged change is fundamental, there is unlikely to be quite the level of equity gain that is available with new build.
Look for the house that is really a missed opportunity — for example the 1960s house that is too small or of a design that is out of character with the local vernacular, yet enjoys an enviable plot. Rendering or cladding, new windows, modern heating systems, thermal insulation and even new roofing materials that are more in keeping can make a huge difference to enjoyment and value. Investigate Permitted Development Rights and whether they apply and, if so, utilise them to the full before making any planning application, where an extension’s acceptability might well be limited to a proportion of the size of the existing dwelling.
Unlike new homes which are zero rated for VAT, renovation and extension work is charged at 17.5% and so is less economical. The only exception is ‘approved alterations’ to Listed Buildings.
By a Site From a Builder
When the housing market is buoyant, as a hedge against rising prices, developers buy up more plots than they can develop, forming what is know as a ‘land bank’. When the market is sluggish and sales of their houses are slow, they might be persuaded to sell off surplus plots to keep their cashflow going.
Even in a strong market, it is always worth contacting local builders as they might well have plots upon which they’re prepared to enter into a ‘Turnkey’ arrangement, whereby they’ll sell you the plot, if they can build the house. It’s not strictly self-build and there is unlikely to be a significant saving over buying a house off the peg but it can get you exactly the design you want, where you want.
Occasionally, developers have plots to sell on partially finished estates. Large estates of houses need areas set aside for site huts and compounds, often right up to the end of a project. If, in the meantime, a new and more attractive development proposition comes up, the smaller developer might well be persuaded to cut his losses on the old site in order to make a clean start on to the new one. The beauty of these plots is that they are already serviced — the water, electricity and drainage connection is already in place. The drawback is that you might be limited in design expression.
Tel: 020 7564 7516
E-mail: support@mitehartland.co.uk
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