Garden and backland plots wanted in Somerset
We want to hear from owners of garden and backland plots in Somerset. There is nothing to pay us, and you are under no obligation.
Garden and backland development means building new homes on land behind existing houses. It works best where there is a safe access and enough space to avoid overlooking. We buy single large gardens and assemble neighbouring gardens where owners agree.
- Size
- 1 to 20 homes typically
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional or outright
Is your land in Somerset the kind we want?
Somerset, as used here, includes Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon and Keynsham as well as Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater and Frome. Green Belt lies around Bath and Bristol in the north, and Exmoor National Park and the Mendip Hills, Quantock Hills, Blackdown Hills, Cranborne Chase and Cotswolds National Landscapes cover much of the rest. The Somerset Levels and Moors are at high flood risk, so sites on higher ground are often favoured.
- Long rear gardens backing onto a lane, road or track
- Land behind houses with an existing drive or gap for access
- Plots where the owner wants to keep their house
- Sites with or without previous applications
Nutrient neutrality advice linked to the Somerset Levels and Moors protected sites has affected housing across much of the county. The M5 corridor through Bridgwater and Taunton, and growth linked to Hinkley Point C, have increased demand for land near those towns.
Before we make an offer in Somerset
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.
Your own property
Selling garden land changes your home, so we plan boundaries and access carefully.
In England, a planning permission normally has to be implemented within three years unless the council sets a different period, and councils aim to decide minor applications within eight weeks and major ones within thirteen.
English councils keep brownfield land registers, and some previously developed sites can be granted permission in principle, a quicker way of establishing whether housing is acceptable before technical details are settled.
Garden and backland plots wanted in towns across Somerset
Ways to sell garden and backland plots in Somerset
Subject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning 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.
Questions owners in Somerset ask
My neighbours might sell too. Does that help?
Often, yes. Combining gardens can create a better site and access. We can talk to each owner and keep the arrangement fair.
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.
How quickly can you look at a site in Somerset?
For most sites we can give an initial view once we have the location and a plan. Detailed checks follow if the land looks suitable.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in Somerset assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.