Sell an Infill Plot in County Londonderry
Owners of small gap sites in County Londonderry are often told the plot is too small to bother with. It may not be. One well-designed house on the right frontage can be a straightforward planning case. Land to Homes gives a free, no-obligation appraisal and, where the plot suits us, can buy it directly, subject to survey, title and contract.
County LondonderryFree 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 County Londonderry
We cover 4 places across County Londonderry: Derry/Londonderry is the main one, alongside Coleraine, Limavady and Magherafelt. Neighbouring areas we also cover include County Tyrone, County Antrim and County Armagh.
In and around County Londonderry, the land we appraise ranges from redundant agricultural buildings to land that already has planning permission, including brownfield land in and around Derry/Londonderry. In Northern Ireland, where County Londonderry sits, planning decisions are made by the 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications.
A postcode and a rough boundary are enough for us to start a free appraisal of land near County Londonderry.
How we work in County Londonderry
Neighbours' light and privacy
Window positions, outlook and daylight to neighbouring homes are tested in planning. We look at how a design could protect them, because this often decides whether infill is approved.
Services and connections
Connecting water, sewers and power to a single plot can be costly where mains are not close by. We check where services run before estimating what the plot could support.
We can buy the plot
Where a plot suits us, we can buy it ourselves, with or without planning, with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract. Any offer is set out in writing.
Small plots still count
Many single-plot sites are viable. We look at what could fit, from one detached house to a short terrace, rather than dismissing a site because of its size.
Planning and land rules in County Londonderry
Land to Homes works with landowners across Northern Ireland, including in and around County Londonderry. We start with a free appraisal of planning policy, access and constraints, then set out a direct offer or option or promotion terms in writing. Each council's Local Development Plan is prepared in two stages, a Plan Strategy and a Local Policies Plan, so the stage your council has reached affects how a site is assessed. Planning permission is never guaranteed.
In Northern Ireland, rural infill is tightly controlled: PPS 21 allows a small gap site within an otherwise substantial and continuously built-up frontage, and councils with adopted plan strategies apply their own versions. Within settlements, PPS 7 and the Creating Places guide shape design. Stamp Duty Land Tax applies on the sale.
| National planning policy | Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS, Edition 2), applied with retained Planning Policy Statements until each council adopts its Plan Strategy |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP), made up of a Plan Strategy and a Local Policies Plan |
| Who decides applications | The 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
| Land registration | Land & Property Services (Land Registry and Registry of Deeds) |
| How a sale becomes binding | A land sale becomes legally binding when contracts signed by both parties are exchanged and finishes on completion, with the title registered in the Land Registry at Land & Property Services. |
| Developer contributions | Section 76 planning agreements under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (there is no Community Infrastructure Levy) |
Your questions answered for County Londonderry
Can I sell the side garden of my end-of-terrace house?
Often, yes, where the side garden is wide enough for a new home that continues the terrace or stands as a separate detached house. Consider the impact on your own home, parking and garden, and whether your mortgage lender will agree to release the land.
What does a buyer check on a small infill site?
Title and boundaries, rights of way, the planning history of the plot, the location of sewers and water mains, trees, drainage, ground conditions, and whether the street has a pattern a new home can follow. Small issues matter more on small sites because they directly affect what can fit.
Is it easier to get planning permission for infill?
Often, because infill makes use of land within a settlement. But councils still refuse infill that harms the character of the street, neighbours' amenity or highway safety. In some rural areas, infill policies are tightly defined, so it pays to check the exact policy wording for your area.
What is an infill plot?
An infill plot is a gap within an existing line of buildings, such as a space between two houses or at the end of a terrace, where a new home would continue the street rather than extend into open land. Exact definitions vary between councils, and rural policies often define infill more narrowly.
Is County Londonderry an area you cover for land?
Yes, we cover land across County Londonderry, including Coleraine, Limavady and Derry/Londonderry. 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: Sell an Infill Plot · Guide: Selling part of your garden: what you need to know