Sell Garden Land and Backland in Caernarfon
Garden land and backland in Caernarfon 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.
Caernarfon · LL55Free 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 Caernarfon
Caernarfon (LL55) is one of the Gwynedd towns we cover, about 9 miles south-west of Bangor (Gwynedd). The nearest other places we cover are Bangor (Gwynedd) (9 miles), Pwllheli (18 miles) and Holyhead (19 miles).
Sites worth a conversation around Caernarfon: brownfield land in and around Caernarfon, redundant commercial buildings and land behind street frontages. As Caernarfon is in Wales, applications are judged against Planning Policy Wales, and the buyer of land pays Land Transaction Tax (LTT).
Tell us where your land is around Caernarfon and we will explain the routes open to you.
Our approach in Caernarfon
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.
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.
Mortgage lender consent
If your house is mortgaged, the lender's charge usually covers the whole garden. You will normally need the lender to release the part being sold, which your solicitor arranges as part of the sale.
Your retained house matters
Selling part of a garden changes the house you keep: outside space, parking, privacy and value. We look at any scheme from your side as well as from the buyer's.
The Welsh system, as it applies in Caernarfon
Selling land in Caernarfon follows the same legal steps as in England: heads of terms, then exchange of contracts, which makes the deal binding, and completion. Titles are registered with HM Land Registry, but the buyer pays Land Transaction Tax to the Welsh Revenue Authority rather than Stamp Duty Land Tax. Planning obligations are usually secured through a Section 106 agreement, with the Community Infrastructure Levy charged only where the council has adopted it.
In Wales, even a single new home in a garden may need approval from the SuDS approving body, depending on the size of the construction area, so drainage design matters from the start. Councils judge garden schemes against Planning Policy Wales and their Local Development Plan. Covenants go to the Upper Tribunal, as in England, and buyers pay Land Transaction Tax.
| National planning policy | Planning Policy Wales (Edition 12) and Future Wales: the National Plan 2040, supported by Technical Advice Notes |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP) |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Developer contributions | Section 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council has adopted it |
Common questions in Caernarfon
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.
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 is tandem development?
Tandem development is a new house placed directly behind an existing one, sharing or running alongside the same access. Councils often resist it because of noise and disturbance from cars passing the front house and overlooking between the two. A wider plot with its own access is usually viewed more positively.
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.
Do you work with landowners in Caernarfon?
We do. We work with landowners in Caernarfon and elsewhere in Gwynedd, including Pwllheli, Holyhead and Bangor (Gwynedd). Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.
Read more: Sell Garden Land and Backland · Guide: Overage and clawback: how they work when you sell land