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For landowners · Essex

Free Site Appraisal in Grays

How do I get a free site appraisal in Grays?

Before you spend money on surveys or advisers, find out whether your land in Grays 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.

Misty paddock at sunrise on the edge of a market town with a church spireGrays · RM17

Free 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

Our coverage in Grays

Grays sits about 17 miles west of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, in the RM17 postcode district. The nearest other places we cover are South Ockendon (3 miles), Gravesend (3 miles) and Dartford (5 miles). Within England, Grays falls in the East of England region.

Typical sites we review near Grays include fields put forward or allocated in the local plan, corner plots and side gardens and redundant agricultural buildings. Planning in Grays follows England’s rules: the National Planning Policy Framework sets national policy and the council’s Local Plan sets local policy.

Send us a postcode in or near RM17 and we will start with a free desktop appraisal.

What we offer in Grays

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.

Indicative scheme

Where prospects look reasonable, we outline what might fit as a broad indication rather than a design, so you can understand the likely scale and form of development.

Services and drainage

We check where sewers, water mains and power run, and flag where limited capacity, long connections or drainage design could add significant cost to a scheme.

No obligation, no cost

The appraisal is free and there is no obligation to go any further. If your land is unlikely to suit new homes, we will tell you plainly and explain why.

Planning and land rules in Grays

Selling development land in Grays usually starts with heads of terms, a short written summary of price, conditions and fees, before solicitors draft the contract. In England the sale becomes binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, with the title then registered at HM Land Registry. The buyer normally pays Stamp Duty Land Tax. On option and promotion agreements with Land to Homes, your reasonable legal fees are covered, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms.

In England, we check the Local Plan and policies map, the Environment Agency's flood map for planning, Green Belt boundaries, designations shown on Defra's MAGIC map, and whether the site appears on the council's brownfield land register. Title comes from HM Land Registry. We also consider whether biodiversity net gain would apply to the likely scheme.

Key rules in Grays
National planning policyNational Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance
Local planning documentLocal Plan
Land registrationHM Land Registry
Developer contributionsSection 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it

Your questions answered for Grays

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.

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.

Will you need to visit my land?

Often, if the desktop review shows realistic potential. We will arrange a visit at a time that suits you and explain what we want to look at, such as the access point, boundaries and ground conditions. Many sites can be ruled in or out without a visit.

Will you contact my neighbours or the council?

Not without your agreement. We use what you share to assess your land and discuss it with you. Our desktop review relies on published records and mapping. If talking to a neighbour or the council would help, we will ask you first and explain why.

Is Grays an area you cover for land?

Yes, we cover land in Grays and elsewhere in Essex, including Canvey Island, Clacton-on-Sea and Loughton. 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: Tax when selling land for development

Own land that could take new homes?

Start with a free, no-obligation site appraisal. On option and promotion agreements we fund the planning work and pay your reasonable legal fees.

CallFree appraisal