Garden and backland plots wanted in East Grinstead
If you own garden and backland plots in or around East Grinstead, we would like to hear about it. We buy directly and give a free, no-obligation appraisal.
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
Garden and backland plots we are looking for in East Grinstead
Backland development in East Grinstead turns on access and privacy; we look at both before suggesting whether an application is worth making. In West Sussex, East Grinstead sits about 39 miles north-east of Chichester; Horley and Crawley are its nearest neighbours on our list.
- 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
West Sussex includes Crawley, Horsham, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Chichester and the coastal towns of Worthing, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Shoreham-by-Sea and Lancing. It has only a very small area of Green Belt on the Surrey border, but the South Downs National Park and the High Weald and Chichester Harbour National Landscapes cover large parts. Typical sites include edge-of-town fields, farm buildings, infill plots and urban brownfield land.
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.
Parts of West Sussex 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 128 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
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 ventureHow a sale to us works
Get in touch
Tell us where the land is and what you know about it.
Site review
We look at the land, its planning position and anything that could affect it.
Proposal
We put our proposal in writing, with no obligation to accept.
Exchange and completion
If you go ahead, contracts are exchanged and the sale completes on the agreed terms.
Your questions answered
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.
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.
Do you buy garden and backland plots in East Grinstead?
Yes. We buy garden and backland plots in East Grinstead and throughout West Sussex, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
Can an agent introduce land in East Grinstead 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.