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For landowners · Argyll & Bute

Sell Garden Land and Backland in Dunoon

Can I sell part of my garden for development in Dunoon?

Garden land and backland in Dunoon means plots taken from large gardens or land sitting behind existing houses, often with no road frontage of its own. It can take one home or a small group, but only if there is safe access and the new homes would not harm neighbours' privacy or the character of the street. We assess both first.

Aerial view of long rear gardens behind 1930s semi-detached houses backing onto a paddockDunoon · PA23

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

Selling land around Dunoon

Dunoon (PA23) is one of the Argyll & Bute towns we cover, about 8 miles south-west of Helensburgh. Nearby, we also cover Greenock, Helensburgh and Clydebank, all within 20 miles.

In and around Dunoon, the land we appraise ranges from infill gaps along existing streets to backland plots with a workable access, including paddocks on the edge of Dunoon. In Scotland, where Dunoon sits, planning decisions are made by the council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area).

Tell us where your land is around Dunoon and we will explain the routes open to you.

What we offer in Dunoon

Option and promotion routes

If the plot needs planning first, an option or promotion agreement lets us fund the application. On both, we pay your reasonable legal fees, with the amount agreed up front in the heads of terms.

Neighbours can combine

Where several gardens adjoin, a joint scheme with one shared access is often more workable than separate plots. A collaboration agreement can share proceeds fairly between the owners involved.

Covenants and title

Older titles often include restrictive covenants limiting building. Depending on the nation and the facts, a release, indemnity insurance or an application to modify the covenant may be possible.

Neighbour impact assessed

Councils look at overlooking, loss of light, noise from a new drive and whether the plot is in keeping with the area. We assess these early, because they are common reasons for refusal.

The Scottish system, as it applies in Dunoon

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 Dunoon, 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, restrictions on building are usually real burdens, also called title conditions, rather than covenants, and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland can discharge or vary them. Garden plots are often consented through planning permission in principle first. A building warrant is needed before work starts, and the buyer pays Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.

Key rules in Dunoon
Who decides applicationsThe council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area)
Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer)Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT)
Land registrationRegisters of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland)
How a sale becomes bindingLand 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.

Common questions in Dunoon

Should I team up with my neighbours to sell garden land?

Often it helps. Several gardens together can support a better-planned scheme with one shared access, which councils tend to prefer to separate plots. A collaboration agreement sets out how proceeds are shared, usually by area, so no one loses out because of where the access road happens to go.

How wide does an access drive need to be for a new house?

There is no single figure for the whole UK. The local highway authority's design guidance sets widths for private drives, passing places and visibility at the junction, and building regulations cover access for fire service vehicles. We check the standards your council applies before estimating what a plot could take.

Can I sell part of my garden to a developer?

Yes, if the land can support a new home with safe access and acceptable impact on neighbours. The land is split from your title and sold with rights of way and services set out in the transfer. If your house is mortgaged, your lender will need to consent and release the part being sold.

What if my title has a covenant against building?

A restrictive covenant can prevent or limit new homes even when planning permission is granted. Options include negotiating a release with whoever benefits from it, indemnity insurance where enforcement looks unlikely, or applying to the relevant tribunal to modify or discharge it. Take legal advice early, because it affects any buyer.

Do you buy land in Dunoon?

Yes. Land to Homes looks at land in Dunoon and elsewhere in Argyll & Bute, including Campbeltown, Helensburgh and Oban. Every enquiry starts with a free site appraisal, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.

Read more: Sell Garden Land and Backland · Guide: Selling part of your garden: what you need to know

Sell Garden Land and Backland elsewhere in Argyll & Bute

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.

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