Sell Land for Development in Highlands & Islands
Selling land for development in Highlands & Islands means agreeing a deal with a developer who can see new homes on your site, whether that is a field, a paddock, a large garden or a former commercial yard. Land to Homes can buy suitable land outright, or partner with you through an option or promotion agreement so the land sells once planning permission is in place.
Highlands & IslandsFree 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 Highlands & Islands
Our Highlands & Islands coverage takes in 6 towns and cities, centred on Inverness and including Kirkwall, Fort William and Lerwick. Next door, we also cover Moray, Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire and Angus & Dundee.
Around Highlands & Islands we look at brownfield land in and around Inverness, farmland next to the settlement boundary and paddocks on the edge of Inverness. Planning in Highlands & Islands follows Scotland’s rules: National Planning Framework 4 sets national policy and the council’s Local Development Plan sets local policy.
Tell us where your land is around Highlands & Islands and we will explain the routes open to you.
How we work in Highlands & Islands
We build what we buy
Land to Homes is part of the S&K Group, a construction and property group, so we plan sites around homes we can actually build and deliver.
Your legal fees covered
On option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees. The figure is agreed up front in the heads of terms, so there are no surprises later.
Direct purchase on suitable sites
Where a site suits us, we can buy it ourselves with or without planning, with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract.
Three ways to sell
A direct purchase, an option agreement or a promotion agreement. We explain the trade-off between certainty now and value later, in writing, so you can compare like with like.
The Scottish system, as it applies in Highlands & Islands
If you own land on the edge of Highlands & Islands, its prospects in Scotland depend largely on the Local Development Plan, which allocates sites for housing, and on NPF4 policies such as those on local living, infrastructure and quality homes. An option or promotion agreement lets a partner fund the planning case while you keep ownership until a sale. With Land to Homes, your reasonable legal fees on these agreements are covered, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms.
In Scotland, land sales are concluded through missives rather than exchange of contracts, and planning follows National Planning Framework 4 and the Local Development Plan. Where permission is needed, a deal can be made conditional on planning permission in principle.
| National planning policy | National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which forms part of the statutory development plan |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP) |
| Who decides applications | The council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area) |
| In-principle consent | Planning permission in principle (PPP), followed by approval of matters specified in conditions |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) |
| Land registration | Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) |
| How a sale becomes binding | Land 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. |
| Developer contributions | Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments |
Sell Land for Development in Highlands & Islands: questions
How much is my land worth for development?
It depends on how many homes the site could take, what those homes would sell for locally, and the costs of building them, including roads, drainage, affordable housing and planning obligations. Agricultural or paddock land without planning prospects is worth far less than land with permission. Our free appraisal explains the factors for your site.
Can I sell land for development without planning permission?
Yes. Many sites change hands without planning. A buyer will either pay a price that reflects the planning risk, or agree a deal where the final price is set once permission is granted. We can do either, and we will explain which gives you the better outcome for your land.
What size of land do you buy?
From single infill plots that could take one or two homes up to fields large enough for a full development. If a site is too small or too constrained for us, we will tell you quickly rather than leave you waiting.
What makes land suitable for new homes?
Good road access, a position next to or within an existing settlement, no overriding constraints such as high flood risk, and local planning policy that supports new housing. Sites that miss one of these can still work, but the route and timescale change.
Is Highlands & Islands an area you cover for land?
Yes, we cover land across Highlands & Islands, including Lerwick, Stornoway and Kirkwall. 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 Land for Development · Guide: Overage and clawback: how they work when you sell land