Commercial and industrial sites wanted in Guildford
We are actively looking for commercial and industrial sites in Guildford and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
If you own industrial units, a business yard or commercial land that is surrounded by housing or underused, it may be worth more as a residential site. We look at employment land policy, tenancies and ground conditions before making an offer.
- Size
- Any
- Planning
- With or without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
Is your land in Guildford the kind we want?
In Guildford, industrial land that has drifted out of use can often be reimagined as homes, subject to the council's view on employment land. As the county town of Surrey, Guildford anchors the area we cover here, along with Godalming, Woking and Aldershot.
- Commercial land that is vacant or underused
- Sites with tenants on short leases or approaching breaks
- Builders' yards, depots and storage land
- Land where employment use has been marketed without success
Surrey is a county of commuter towns, including Woking, Guildford, Epsom, Reigate, Redhill, Camberley, Staines-upon-Thames and Farnham, and many villages. Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, and the Surrey Hills and High Weald National Landscapes cover much of the south. Previously developed land, infill plots, garden and backland sites and grey belt are therefore central to housing supply, with larger sites usually allocated through local plans.
Checks we make on commercial and industrial sites in Guildford
Employment land protection
Councils often protect business land; evidence of marketing or lack of demand can matter.
Leases
Tenancies and their protection affect when the site can be redeveloped.
Neighbouring businesses
Homes next to noisy uses may need mitigation or may not be acceptable.
In England, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August 2026 replaced the old "tilted balance" with new settlement policies: development within a settlement should normally be approved unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits, while land outside a settlement can gain support in defined circumstances.
Parts of Surrey are Green Belt, though not every town has any nearby. We check early whether a site is inside it and, if so, whether a grey belt or previously developed land case could apply.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 107 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Four ways to sell to us
Outright purchase
Common, with leases and remediation reflected in timing and price.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Used where a change of use still needs consent.
Subject-to-planning contractFrom first call to completion
Send the basics
A postcode or plan and a few lines about the land are enough to start.
We do the homework
We check planning history, policy, flood maps and access at no cost to you.
We explain the options
You get a written proposal covering price, structure and timing.
Agree and proceed
Once you are happy, solicitors are instructed and the deal moves forward.
Frequently asked in Surrey
My units are still let. Can you buy?
Yes, in many cases. We look at the leases and break dates and can plan a purchase around them.
Will the council object to losing business land?
Some councils protect employment land. Evidence that the site is no longer needed or suitable for business can help.
Do you buy commercial and industrial sites in Guildford?
Yes. We buy commercial and industrial sites in Guildford and throughout Surrey, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
Which planning rules apply to land in Guildford?
As Guildford is in England, national policy comes from the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026. Local policies in the council's development plan also apply.