Serviced Plots for Self-Build in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Planning and building around Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

We cover 5 places across Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire: Aberdeen is the main one, alongside Fraserburgh, Stonehaven and Inverurie. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover Moray, Angus & Dundee and Perth & Kinross.

Typical work around Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire: land with an expired or ageing consent, plots where access or drainage is the sticking point and fields that need a masterplan before an application. As Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire is in Scotland, applications are judged against National Planning Framework 4, and the buyer of land pays Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).

Send us the site address near Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire and we will tell you what we think the planning route is.

What you get in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Part of larger schemes

On bigger developments, serviced plots can sit alongside homes for sale, rent and affordable tenures, sharing the same roads and services.

Services at the boundary

Plots are planned with road access and connections for water, drainage and electricity, so you are not left negotiating with utility companies on your own.

Planning made clear

We aim to bring plots forward with planning permission in place, or with a clear set of rules, often called a plot passport, describing what can be built.

Landowners welcome

If your land could suit self-build plots, our free site appraisal explains the options, including a direct purchase, an option or a promotion agreement.

The Scottish system, as it applies in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

If you own land on the edge of Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, 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, planning authorities keep self-build lists recording people who want to build their own home, and National Planning Framework 4 and the Local Development Plan guide where new homes can go. Plots need a building warrant before work starts, land is bought through missives, and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax may be payable. Planning permission in principle can establish whether plots are acceptable.

Key rules in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire
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

Your questions answered for Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Can I get a mortgage for a self-build plot?

Many lenders offer self-build mortgages that release money in stages as the build progresses, but criteria vary and a standard mortgage will not usually work. You will normally need planning permission, a detailed budget and a warranty or professional supervision in place. A mortgage broker or adviser can explain the options; we cannot give financial advice.

What is the difference between self-build and custom build?

With self-build, you organise the design and construction of your home yourself, either doing some of the work or hiring a builder. With custom build, a developer provides more of the package, such as a serviced plot, a range of designs and sometimes the construction itself, while you make the key choices. The line between the two is not always sharp.

Is there a self-build register in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?

In Scotland, planning authorities keep self-build lists of people interested in building their own home, which inform local planning. Wales and Northern Ireland do not have a statutory register like England's, although some councils may still record interest, and self-build plots are assessed through normal planning policy. Check with your local council.

Can I sell part of my land as self-build plots?

Yes, if the land has planning prospects and suitable access. A few plots can suit land on a village edge or a large garden. Our free site appraisal looks at whether plots would work and whether a direct sale to us, an option or a promotion agreement is the right route. On option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.

Do you take on planning and building work in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire?

Yes, on sites we buy, option, promote or develop in partnership across Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, including Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Inverurie. We do not take on planning or building work for third parties as a consultancy.