Small sites wanted
Sites for roughly 1 to 9 homes in towns and villages. England and Wales.
A small site is usually land for fewer than ten homes, such as a corner plot, a side garden or a small field. Larger housebuilders often overlook them, but small sites are exactly the kind of land we want across England and Wales.
- Size
- About 1 to 9 homes
- Planning
- With or without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
What small sites do we want?
Small sites are plots for roughly one to nine homes. They are quicker to plan and build than large schemes and national policy encourages councils to bring more of them forward. We buy small sites with or without planning.
- Corner plots and side gardens with road frontage
- Small fields or paddocks next to villages
- Garage blocks and small yards
- Plots with consent for one to nine homes
- Sites where an earlier application can be improved
- Land within or touching a settlement boundary
What decides whether a site works?
If your land could take a few homes rather than a few hundred, it is a small site. These plots are central to what we buy, and we can usually give a quick view on whether one is worth pursuing.
Design fit
A small scheme has to suit the street and the neighbours.
Access
Even small sites need a safe access and parking.
Affordable housing thresholds
In England affordable housing is usually only sought on schemes of ten or more homes; in Wales many councils seek contributions from smaller sites, sometimes a single home.
BNG (England)
From 6 August 2026 non-major sites of 0.2 ha or less are generally exempt from mandatory BNG unless priority habitat is affected.
Drainage
Sustainable drainage and sewer connections can still be significant on small sites.
Is it different in England and Wales?
England. 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.
Wales. Flood risk in Wales is assessed under Technical Advice Note 15 and the Flood Map for Planning, which can be decisive for land near rivers and the coast.
What should I have ready?
None of this is essential to get started, but it helps us give a firmer view sooner:
- A rough plan or the site's dimensions
- Any planning history
- Photos of the site and frontage
- Ownership details
How we buy
Ways to sell small sites to us
Subject-to-planning contract
Popular for small plots: you only sell once permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractWhere
Small sites wanted by area
Choose your county to see what we look for locally and the towns we cover.
England
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- County Durham
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- The East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- The Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- The West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
Wales
What happens next
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.
Questions
Small sites: common questions
Why do larger developers ignore small sites?
Large builders tend to focus on bigger schemes that suit their overheads. Small sites need a different approach, which is why we actively look for them.
Do small sites need affordable housing?
In England, affordable housing is generally sought on major development of ten or more homes, though some rural areas set lower thresholds. In Wales, many Local Development Plans seek contributions from smaller sites, sometimes from a single home.
How quickly can you give a view?
For a small site with a clear plan and photos, we can usually say quickly whether it is worth pursuing and how.
Can you buy a single building plot?
Yes. Single plots, with or without consent, are part of what we buy.