How do I find a building plot?

This is one question we are asked frequently as many clients mention that finding a plot is near or even impossible, if that were true, we and other companies in the self-build market wouldn’t be in business.

The first piece of advice we would give is focus on the area where you would like to build, the smaller the better as this will end up being a part time project finding the ideal building plot.

There will be opportunists out there that will want to sell you a piece of land (field), rather than a building plot, stay clear!

If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is and you need to ask yourself why hasn’t the vendor applied for planning permission and then quadrupled his selling price? That is because they are well aware that the building plot is in either greenbelt, open countryside or outside the village boundary and is very unlikely to ever receive planning permission.

Therefore, focus on building plots that either have outline or full detailed planning permission. If you don’t like the design you have the opportunity to go back to planning for a revised application, but be aware you are unlikely to achieve planning for a two-storey house if only a bungalow has been granted.

Now how do I find that building plot?

Estate Agents

Register with every local estate agent and let them know your position i.e. a cash buyer will be more attractive to them than a non cash buyer.

Agents are likely to have three lists, developers, cash buyer and non-cash buyer. Chances are they will have good relationships with developers and this might be their first point of call, but it has to be a viable project with enough profit for a developer to purchase, they might put a lower offer in and this may be rejected.

A cash buyer looking to build their dream home will often pay more for the ideal building plot and therefore this is the offer that is accepted, unfortunately a non-cash buyer will probably be the third on the list to call, so it would help if you at least had a mortgage offer in place.

You will need to keep in regular contact with the agents, they may get fed up with you, but it is their job after all! Often building plots don’t even reach the open market, that is why it is important to keep in contact.

Existing properties

Demolition and re-build of new houses are becoming increasingly popular, therefore ask the Estate Agents to let you know of any sub-standard houses or bungalows that come to market. Often it makes more economical sense to demolish and re-build rather than renovate as new build is vat zero-rated.

Local planning authorities usually look favourably on demolition and re-build as long as the existing property is not listed or is of architectural interest. The authority will usually have a planning policy in place for how much larger you are able to build and this can differentiate between authorities across the country, therefore it is worth checking this before you purchase a building plot.

As a guide most local authorities will allow up to a 30% increase within built up areas, greenbelt can be as low as 10%, but this is not set in stone and we have seen much larger increases.

Auction Sales

Building plots are often sold at auction, but you will need to do your homework before you visit the auction house with regards to planning, as once you purchase at auction you are usually committed.

Developers

Developers often land bank and might not always be in the position to build, therefore it is worth contacting local developers to see if they have any building plots that they are willing to sell.

Local Authorities

All planning applications are registered on the local authority’s public access system via the internet, therefore you can view all planning applications that are submitted on a weekly basis. If any application excites you and seems to be the ideal opportunity you have access to the applicants or agents contact details, you should write to them asking if they would be interested in selling their building plot subject to the planning being approved. Many a customer has purchased this way as it stops it from reaching the open market.

Land Finding Agencies

If you don’t have time on your hands it might be worth considering to engage with a land agency specialist for a fee, they will then search on your behalf. Agencies can be found on the internet and often advertise in the self-build magazines. There are also companies that you can subscribe to such as plot search and plot finder.

Local Plan

Each authority should have a local plan in place, if not they might be at consultation stage. The authority usually has a 15-year plan in place and this will identify suitable building plots to enable them to meet their housing numbers over a certain amount of years. More often than not these are larger plots for multiple development, but in smaller villages this is not always possible and therefore individual plots may be identified. If you locate a suitable building plot, try and identify the owner and contact them with your interest. If you are unable to identify the owner, you can check with land registry.

We hope the above has been helpful, but remember before you purchase any building plot, make sure your solicitor carries out a full search and checks that there are no restrictive covenants on the site and most importantly that planning permission has been granted and is still current.