Land Acquisitions

Getting consent is usually the job

Most land is worth what somebody can build on it, and most sites have never been tested. That is the work: what a site can realistically take, what it costs to get permission, how long it takes, and what it is worth once it has it.

At London Road in St Albans the challenge was exactly that. We took the site through to planning permission for five bespoke executive homes. The scheme is consented; construction has not yet started.

If your land already has consent, we can move quickly. If it does not, we will tell you honestly what we think it would get, and whether it is worth pursuing before you sell.

What we buy

With planning — consented residential or commercial sites, in whole or in part.

Without planning — land with development potential, including garden and infill plots, back-land, garage blocks and brownfield sites.

Awkward sites — access problems, covenants, ransom strips, overage, unregistered title, shared ownership between family members or executors. These are the ones other buyers walk away from, and they are often the ones worth doing.

Selling land with somebody else involved

A great deal of the land we look at is owned by more than one person, or by an estate. We are used to dealing with executors, trustees, siblings who disagree, and probate that has not completed.

We can wait for the legal position to be resolved, and we will tell you at the outset if we think a sale is not yet possible — rather than tying your site up while you find out.

What happens when you contact us

You tell us roughly where the land is and what you know about it. We look at it against planning history, local sales and what is being built nearby, and come back with a view — usually the same day.

If we want to buy it we will say what we would pay and why. If we do not, we will tell you that too, and what we think you should do instead. There is no fee and no obligation either way.