How to sell land for development
How to sell land for development in the UK: check your title and planning potential, choose a direct sale, option or promotion, and take the right advice.
Read the guideGuides
Guides to land, planning and new homes
Plain-English explanations of how land deals, planning and new homes work in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each guide lists the official sources it was checked against.
For landowners
Option agreement or promotion agreement: what is the difference?
Option or promotion agreement? How each works, who pays for planning, how the sale price is set, and the terms landowners should check before signing.
Read the guideHow is development land valued?
How development land is valued in the UK: the residual method, hope value, existing use value plus a premium, and the costs that shape a land offer.
Read the guideSelling part of your garden: what you need to know
Thinking of selling part of your garden for a new home? Title, access, lender consent, privacy, covenants, planning and tax explained in plain English.
Read the guideOverage and clawback: how they work when you sell land
What overage and clawback mean when you sell land: how payments are triggered and calculated, how they are secured, and what to check before agreeing.
Read the guidePlanning permission explained for landowners
Outline, full and reserved matters, conditions, Permission in Principle and how long planning permission lasts in England, Wales, Scotland and NI.
Read the guideGreen Belt and grey belt land explained
What England's Green Belt and grey belt policies mean for landowners under the August 2026 NPPF, and how green belts work in Scotland, Wales and NI.
Read the guideTax when selling land for development
An overview of the taxes that can apply when you sell land in the UK: Capital Gains Tax, Income Tax on trading, VAT and the buyer's land transaction taxes.
Read the guideRansom strips and access: what landowners need to know
How ransom strips, visibility splays, easements and road adoption affect land for new homes across the UK, and how ransom value is negotiated in principle.
Read the guideBiodiversity net gain for landowners: what it means for your land
How biodiversity net gain affects land for new homes in England, the 0.2 hectare exemption from August 2026, off-site units, and Wales, Scotland and NI.
Read the guideSection 106 and affordable housing: what landowners should know
How Section 106, CIL, Scotland's Section 75 and NI's Section 76 agreements work, how affordable housing is set, and why obligations affect land value.
Read the guideWho pays for land promotion? Fees, costs and legal fees explained
Who pays for planning and legal costs under a land promotion agreement, how costs come out of sale proceeds, minimum prices and what landowners still pay.
Read the guideLandowner joint ventures explained: sharing in the development
How landowner joint ventures work: contractual and corporate JVs, profit share, putting land in as equity, the risks, and why independent advice matters.
Read the guideFor home buyers and tenants
Buying a new-build home: what to expect from reservation to keys
How buying a new-build home works across the UK: reservation, warranties, snagging, the New Homes Quality Code, mortgage offers and Scottish Home Reports.
Read the guideRenting a new-build home: tenancy rules in England, Wales, Scotland and NI
Renting a new-build home in the UK: England's 2026 tenancy changes, Welsh occupation contracts, Scottish private tenancies, NI rules and deposits.
Read the guideFor councils and housing associations
How affordable and social homes are delivered across the UK
A guide for councils and housing associations to Section 106 homes, land-led schemes and affordable housing grant in England, Wales, Scotland and NI.
Read the guideLooking for a definition? See the land and planning glossary.