Free Site Appraisal in Argyll & Bute
Before you spend money on surveys or advisers, find out whether your land in Argyll & Bute has realistic potential for new homes. Our free appraisal starts with a desktop review of official planning documents, maps and title records, and may lead to a site visit. You get a plain-English view on prospects, risks and next steps.
Argyll & ButeFree 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 sites near Argyll & Bute
Our Argyll & Bute coverage takes in 4 towns and cities, centred on Helensburgh and including Oban, Dunoon and Campbeltown. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover Glasgow & the Clyde, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.
Sites worth a conversation around Argyll & Bute: corner plots and side gardens, brownfield land in and around Helensburgh and former garage blocks and yards. In Scotland, where Argyll & Bute sits, planning decisions are made by the council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area).
A postcode and a rough boundary are enough for us to start a free appraisal of land near Argyll & Bute.
How we work in Argyll & Bute
Title and boundaries
We read the title register and plan for covenants, rights of way and easements that could affect development, and flag anything your solicitor should look at more closely.
Constraints mapped
Flood zones, conservation areas, listed buildings, protected trees, ecological designations and landscape protections are all checked against your boundary using official mapping and published public records.
Planning policy reviewed
We read the adopted development plan, its policies map and any emerging plan, and note how your land is treated: within a settlement boundary, allocated, protected or open countryside.
Access and highways
We look at road frontage, the likely junction position and visibility, and whether the adopted highway actually reaches your land or stops short of it.
Planning in Argyll & Bute: the Scottish rules
Land sales in Scotland are concluded through missives, an exchange of formal letters between solicitors. Once missives are concluded they form a binding contract, and the buyer takes entry at settlement, then registers the title with Registers of Scotland. For land near Argyll & Bute, missives can be made conditional on planning permission in principle, so the sale only proceeds if consent is secured. The buyer pays Land and Buildings Transaction Tax to Revenue Scotland.
In Scotland, we check the Local Development Plan and NPF4, SEPA's flood maps, Historic Environment Scotland designations, and whether the land is croft land. Title is read from the Land Register or, for older titles, the Register of Sasines kept by Registers of Scotland. Former coalfield areas may need a Coal Authority check.
| National planning policy | National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which forms part of the statutory development plan |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP) |
| Who decides applications | The council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area) |
| In-principle consent | Planning permission in principle (PPP), followed by approval of matters specified in conditions |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) |
| Land registration | Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) |
| How a sale becomes binding | Land sales are concluded through missives, formal letters exchanged between solicitors that become a binding contract once concluded, followed by settlement on the date of entry and registration in the Land Register of Scotland. |
| Developer contributions | Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments |
Your questions answered for Argyll & Bute
What information do I need to provide for a site appraisal?
A postcode or rough boundary is enough to start. It helps to add the title number if you know it, the current use, any planning history, any tenancies, and known issues such as drainage or access disputes. Photos and existing reports are useful but not essential.
Will the appraisal tell me what my land is worth?
Not as a formal valuation. We explain the factors that drive development land value for your site, such as the likely number of homes, local sale values and build costs. If we make an offer later, it will be in writing. For a formal valuation, instruct a chartered surveyor.
What does a free site appraisal include?
It covers local planning policy, constraints such as flood risk and heritage, access to the road, title issues, services, and an indication of the kind of scheme that might fit. It ends with a view on the realistic routes for your land. It is not a formal valuation, and it is not legal advice.
Is the site appraisal really free?
Yes. The appraisal is free and carries no obligation. You do not have to sign anything to receive it, and asking for one does not commit you to selling or entering any agreement. If you later decide to go ahead, any terms are set out in writing first.
Is Argyll & Bute an area you cover for land?
Yes, we cover land across Argyll & Bute, including Dunoon, Helensburgh and Oban. Where a site suits us we can buy it directly, or set up an option or promotion agreement. On promotion there is nothing to pay upfront.
Read more: Free Site Appraisal · Guide: Selling part of your garden: what you need to know