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For landowners · Isle of Wight

Sell Land for Development in Cowes

Can I sell land for development in Cowes?

If you own land in Cowes that could take new homes, you can sell it to Land to Homes as it stands or let us take it through planning first. Selling now gives you certainty. Going through planning first usually raises what the land is worth. On promotion agreements we fund the planning work, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.

Landowner and surveyor at a wooden field gate looking over a paddock behind town gardensCowes · PO31

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

Selling land around Cowes

In Isle of Wight, Cowes lies about 4 miles north of Newport (Isle of Wight); its central postcode district is PO31. Newport (Isle of Wight) is the closest neighbouring place we cover, at about 4 miles, followed by Ryde and Gosport. Cowes is in the South East region of England.

In and around Cowes, the land we appraise ranges from land behind street frontages to fields put forward or allocated in the local plan, including redundant commercial buildings. Because Cowes is in England, land titles are registered with HM Land Registry and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

A postcode and a rough boundary are enough for us to start a free appraisal of land near Cowes.

Why work with Land to Homes in Cowes

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.

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.

Nothing to pay upfront

Where we promote land through planning, we fund the planning work. They are only recovered from the sale proceeds if the land sells with permission.

Every nation covered

We work across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and tailor each deal to the planning and conveyancing rules that apply where your land sits.

How the rules work in Cowes

In England, most planning applications for new homes in Cowes 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, planning decisions follow the National Planning Policy Framework and the council's Local Plan. Where a council cannot show enough land for housing, sites on the edge of settlements can come forward sooner, which affects whether we buy now or promote.

Key rules in Cowes
Who decides applicationsThe local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority)
In-principle consentOutline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later
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.

Your questions answered for Cowes

Will I have to pay tax when I sell land?

Selling land can create a Capital Gains Tax or Income Tax liability depending on your circumstances. We are not tax advisers, so we always recommend speaking to an accountant before you agree terms. GOV.UK has a guide to tax when you sell land and property.

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 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.

Who pays the legal fees when I sell land?

On a straightforward sale each side normally pays its own. On option and promotion agreements with Land to Homes we pay your reasonable legal fees, and the amount is agreed in the heads of terms before you instruct a solicitor.

Do you work with landowners in Cowes?

We do. We work with landowners in Cowes and elsewhere in Isle of Wight, including Newport (Isle of Wight), Ryde and Sandown. Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.

Read more: Sell Land for Development · Guide: Overage and clawback: how they work when you sell land

Sell Land for Development elsewhere in Isle of Wight

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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