Land and new homes in Belfast
In Belfast, Land to Homes works with landowners who want to sell, option or promote land for housing, and with councils and housing associations on affordable homes. We manage planning and building on the sites we take forward, and people looking for a home can register their interest.
Belfast · BT1Free 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
Where Belfast fits
Belfast is the main town we cover in County Antrim, centred on postcode district BT1. The nearest other places we cover are Castlereagh (2 miles), Newtownabbey (4 miles) and Lisburn (7 miles).
Sites worth a conversation around Belfast: infill gaps along existing streets, brownfield land in and around Belfast and small holdings and pony paddocks. Because Belfast is in Northern Ireland, land titles are registered with Land & Property Services (Land Registry and Registry of Deeds) and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
If you own land near Belfast, the first step is a free, no-obligation appraisal.
Services in Belfast
For landowners
- Sell Land for Development in Belfast
- Sell Land with Planning Permission in Belfast
- Sell Land Without Planning in Belfast
- Land Option Agreements in Belfast
- Land Promotion Agreements in Belfast
- Landowner Joint Ventures in Belfast
- Sell Garden Land and Backland in Belfast
- Sell Farmland and Paddocks in Belfast
- Sell Brownfield Land in Belfast
- Sell an Infill Plot in Belfast
- Land Assembly and Access in Belfast
- Free Site Appraisal in Belfast
- Sell a Building for Conversion in Belfast
Planning, design and build
- Planning Permission and Strategy in Belfast
- Architecture and Masterplanning in Belfast
- New Home Construction in Belfast
- Serviced Plots for Self-Build in Belfast
New homes and housing
- New-Build Homes for Sale in Belfast
- New Homes to Rent in Belfast
- Affordable Housing in Belfast
- Social Housing in Belfast
- Council and Housing Partnerships in Belfast
Funders and partners
Planning in Belfast: the Northern Irish rules
Land to Homes works with landowners across Northern Ireland, including in and around Belfast. We start with a free appraisal of planning policy, access and constraints, then set out a direct offer or option or promotion terms in writing. Each council's Local Development Plan is prepared in two stages, a Plan Strategy and a Local Policies Plan, so the stage your council has reached affects how a site is assessed. Planning permission is never guaranteed.
In Northern Ireland, housing associations find sites and develop schemes under the Social Housing Development Programme, while the Housing Executive assesses housing need in areas such as Belfast. Councils' Local Development Plans can also require affordable homes on private developments, secured through a Section 76 planning agreement. Land to Homes can supply land, design and construction, or deliver completed homes for transfer to a registered housing association.
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP), made up of a Plan Strategy and a Local Policies Plan |
|---|---|
| Who decides applications | The 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
| How a sale becomes binding | A land sale becomes legally binding when contracts signed by both parties are exchanged and finishes on completion, with the title registered in the Land Registry at Land & Property Services. |
| Developer contributions | Section 76 planning agreements under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (there is no Community Infrastructure Levy) |
Common questions in Belfast
How do I sell land for development?
Start with an appraisal of what the land could take and the routes open to you: a direct sale, an option agreement or a promotion agreement. Then take independent advice from a solicitor and, ideally, a land agent before agreeing heads of terms. Land to Homes offers a free, no-obligation site appraisal and explains each route in writing.
Do you have any new homes for sale or rent?
Not yet. Land to Homes is a new venture and has no homes, plots or developments for sale or rent at the moment. You can register interest with the area and type of home you want, and we will contact you if we bring forward homes that match. We do not take reservations, fees or deposits at this stage.
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.
Do you buy land directly?
Yes, on suitable sites. We can buy land directly, with or without planning permission and with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract. Whether a direct purchase suits you depends on the site and on whether you would rather have certainty now or wait for planning to change what the land is worth.
Do you work with landowners in Belfast?
We do. We work with landowners in Belfast and elsewhere in County Antrim, including Ballymena, Lisburn and Antrim. Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.