Land and new homes in Berkshire
Land to Homes is a land and new-homes business covering Berkshire. We can buy suitable land directly, fund the planning on promotion and option deals, and deliver homes for sale, rent and affordable housing. Every land enquiry starts with a free, no-obligation appraisal.
BerkshireFree site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
- Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
- Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
- Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
Land and homes across Berkshire
We cover 11 places across Berkshire: Reading is the main one, alongside Lower Earley, Sandhurst and Thatcham. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire.
In and around Berkshire, the land we appraise ranges from small holdings and pony paddocks to former garage blocks and yards, including land that already has planning permission. Planning in Berkshire follows England’s rules: the National Planning Policy Framework sets national policy and the council’s Local Plan sets local policy.
Tell us where your land is around Berkshire and we will explain the routes open to you.
Services in Berkshire
For landowners
- Sell Land for Development in Berkshire
- Sell Land with Planning Permission in Berkshire
- Sell Land Without Planning in Berkshire
- Land Option Agreements in Berkshire
- Land Promotion Agreements in Berkshire
- Landowner Joint Ventures in Berkshire
- Sell Garden Land and Backland in Berkshire
- Sell Farmland and Paddocks in Berkshire
- Sell Brownfield Land in Berkshire
- Sell an Infill Plot in Berkshire
- Land Assembly and Access in Berkshire
- Free Site Appraisal in Berkshire
- Sell a Building for Conversion in Berkshire
Planning, design and build
- Planning Permission and Strategy in Berkshire
- Architecture and Masterplanning in Berkshire
- New Home Construction in Berkshire
- Serviced Plots for Self-Build in Berkshire
New homes and housing
- New-Build Homes for Sale in Berkshire
- New Homes to Rent in Berkshire
- Affordable Housing in Berkshire
- Social Housing in Berkshire
- Council and Housing Partnerships in Berkshire
Funders and partners
How the rules work in Berkshire
In England, most planning applications for new homes in Berkshire are decided by the local planning authority, usually the council, using its Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework. Many landowners sell without planning, either outright or through an option or promotion agreement that funds the application first. Land to Homes offers a free site appraisal, pays your reasonable legal fees on option and promotion agreements, and can buy suitable sites directly, subject to survey, title and contract.
Affordable homes in Berkshire are usually funded through a mix of Section 106 contributions from market schemes and grant from Homes England's Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026 to 2036, or from the Greater London Authority in London. Registered providers, regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing, own and manage most of them. Land to Homes can bring forward land and build homes for councils and housing associations, including homes for Social Rent.
| National planning policy | National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Plan |
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority) |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
| How a sale becomes binding | A land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, after which the buyer registers the title with HM Land Registry. |
| Developer contributions | Section 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it |
Common questions in Berkshire
Do you pay my legal fees?
On option and promotion agreements, yes. We pay your reasonable legal fees, and the amount is agreed up front in the heads of terms before you instruct a solicitor, so there are no surprises later. On a direct purchase, each side normally pays its own legal costs, and we will explain the position before you commit.
What is an option agreement?
An option agreement gives a developer the right, but not the obligation, to buy land within an agreed period, usually once planning permission is granted. The landowner normally receives an option fee, and the purchase price is worked out under an agreed formula. On option agreements with Land to Homes, we pay your reasonable legal fees, agreed up front in the heads of terms.
Can Green Belt land be developed?
Green Belt is land around certain towns and cities where policy keeps land open, so new homes are normally resisted unless a local plan releases the land or there are very special circumstances. In England, recent policy changes introduced grey belt land, which can be more acceptable for development in some cases. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own green belt policies.
Can you guarantee my land will get planning permission?
No one can guarantee planning permission. Decisions rest with the planning authority or, on appeal, an independent appeal body. What we can do is assess the prospects honestly, prepare a thorough application and deal with likely objections early. If we think a site is unlikely to succeed, we will tell you before anyone spends time or money on it.
Do you work with landowners in Berkshire?
We do. We work with landowners across Berkshire, including Crowthorne, Bracknell and Lower Earley. Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.