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For landowners · Wiltshire

Sell Garden Land and Backland in Salisbury

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

Selling part of your garden in Salisbury for a new home can work well, but the details decide it: the width and route of the access, overlooking, trees, drainage and any covenants on your title. Land to Homes gives a free, no-obligation appraisal and tells you plainly if the plot is unlikely to get permission.

Aerial view of long rear gardens behind 1930s semi-detached houses backing onto a paddockSalisbury · SP1

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 Salisbury

In Wiltshire, Salisbury lies about 34 miles south of Swindon; its central postcode district is SP1. Nearby, we also cover Andover, Totton and Southampton, all within 20 miles. Salisbury is part of England’s South West region.

Typical sites we review near Salisbury include backland plots with a workable access, large and long rear gardens and brownfield land in and around Salisbury. Because Salisbury is in England, land titles are registered with HM Land Registry and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

Send us a postcode in or near SP1 and we will start with a free desktop appraisal.

Why work with Land to Homes in Salisbury

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.

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.

Trees and ecology checked

Mature gardens can hold protected trees, bats in outbuildings or nesting birds. We check tree preservation orders and conservation area status, and plan any surveys for the right season.

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.

Rules that apply in Salisbury

In England, most planning applications for new homes in Salisbury are decided by the local planning authority, usually the council, using its Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework. Many landowners sell without planning, either outright or through an option or promotion agreement that funds the application first. Land to Homes offers a free site appraisal, pays your reasonable legal fees on option and promotion agreements, and can buy suitable sites directly, subject to survey, title and contract.

In England, the NPPF excludes private residential gardens in built-up areas from its definition of previously developed land, and many Local Plans have specific garden development policies. Recent changes exempt many very small sites from biodiversity net gain, subject to conditions. Restrictive covenants can be modified or discharged by the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).

Key rules in Salisbury
Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer)Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
Land registrationHM Land Registry
How a sale becomes bindingA land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, after which the buyer registers the title with HM Land Registry.
Developer contributionsSection 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it

Common questions in Salisbury

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.

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.

Will selling part of my garden affect the value of my house?

It can. A smaller garden, a new drive alongside your home or a new neighbour closer to your boundary may reduce its value, even though the sale brings in money. A local estate agent can advise on the effect on your house, so you can weigh the two together before deciding.

What is backland development?

Backland development means building homes on land behind an existing row of houses, usually reached by a new access running between them. Many councils have specific policy on it, focused on access, privacy, the character of the area and avoiding piecemeal schemes that would block a better-planned layout later.

Do you work with landowners in Salisbury?

We do. We work with landowners in Salisbury and elsewhere in Wiltshire, including Swindon, Trowbridge and Chippenham. 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

Sell Garden Land and Backland elsewhere in Wiltshire

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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