Garden and backland plots wanted in Exeter
If you own garden and backland plots in or around Exeter, we would like to hear about it. We buy directly and give a free, no-obligation appraisal.
A backland plot is land behind existing buildings, usually large rear gardens, reached by a new or existing access. Garden land can sometimes take new homes, especially where several neighbours sell together or a lane runs along the back.
- Size
- 1 to 20 homes typically
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional or outright
Garden and backland plots we are looking for in Exeter
Around Exeter, garden land is most promising where a lane already runs behind the houses or two or three neighbours can sell together. Exeter is the county town of Devon. Nearby places we also cover include Exmouth, Tiverton and Newton Abbot.
- Land behind houses with an existing drive or gap for access
- Paddocks and orchards behind homes on the edge of a village
- Plots where the owner wants to keep their house
- Sites with or without previous applications
Devon has no Green Belt, but Dartmoor and part of Exmoor National Parks and the East Devon, North Devon, South Devon, Blackdown Hills and Tamar Valley National Landscapes cover a large share of the county. Growth focuses on Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay and the market towns, with many villages beyond. Edge-of-town greenfield land, farm buildings and smaller infill plots are the usual sources of new housing sites.
What usually makes or breaks it
Access width
The drive or road into the plot must be safe for cars, bins and emergency vehicles.
Overlooking
New homes must sit far enough from existing homes to protect privacy.
Local garden policy
Some councils resist garden development; others support it where character is respected.
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.
We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, around 144 miles from Exeter, and we travel to see sites across England and Wales.
Ways to sell garden and backland plots in Exeter
Subject-to-planning contract
The usual route: we apply and you only sell if permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractOption agreement
You grant us the right to buy within a set period, usually for an option premium, while we pursue planning.
Option agreementJoint venture
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureFrom first call to completion
Tell us about the land
Use the form or call us with the location and a rough outline of the site.
Free appraisal
We review title, planning and constraints and tell you honestly what we think.
Written offer
If the site suits us, we set out an offer and the way we propose to buy.
Solicitors take over
Your solicitor and ours agree the contract; we keep you informed throughout.
Frequently asked in Devon
Do I pay tax on selling garden land?
Tax depends on your circumstances, including how much land you have and how it has been used. Speak to a tax adviser before you agree terms.
What if my mortgage lender says no?
Lenders usually agree where the sale reduces the debt or the remaining security is adequate. We build time for this into the process.
Is Exeter too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 144 miles from Exeter, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Can an agent introduce land in Exeter to you?
Yes. Estate agents, land agents and planning consultants can introduce sites with the owner's consent. Any fee is agreed in writing before details are shared, confirmed by the owner in writing and paid only on completion.