Sell your land or site to a developer.
Field, garden plot, yard, old building or a site with an agreement already on it. We buy land in the North West, and this page explains how the sale actually works, from a developer who does the buying.
Most of the advice about selling land to a developer is written by people who don't buy land: agents who take a commission, promoters who want your site tied up for a decade, or content writers who've never appraised a site in their lives.
We're a developer. We buy land in the North West and build on it. So this page tells you how a developer values your site, what the real options are, and the mistakes that quietly cost owners the most, because the more you understand, the better the deal we can do together.
The mistakes that cost owners the most.
None of these are obvious, which is exactly why they're expensive.
- Selling at existing-use value without testing what could be built. Land with development potential can be worth many times its value as a field or a yard. The uplift when a site goes from agricultural to residential use is measured in multiples, not percentages. Sell before anyone's tested that potential and you may hand it to the buyer for nothing.
- Signing an option or promotion agreement without understanding it. These tie your land up for years and hand control to someone else. Some are fair. Some are one-sided. The document decides your outcome, and by the time you feel the terms, you're years in and can't get out. Option agreements → · Promotion agreements →
- Getting planning and assuming it doubles the price. Planning adds value, but it costs money and time and can be refused. Sometimes selling subject to planning, and letting the developer carry that risk, nets you more than paying for it yourself and hoping.
- Not taking tax advice until after the deal. The tax on a land sale can be large enough to change which deal is worth doing. It's an input to the decision, not an afterthought. Tax on selling land →
- Taking the first number without knowing how it was built. A price with no appraisal behind it is a guess or a lowball. Ask any buyer to show their working. We will.
What is your land actually worth?
Not by the acre. A developer values land by what's left after building on it pays for itself. This is the residual.
This is why two sites the same size are worth wildly different amounts. It isn't the acreage, it's what can be built and what it sells for. A tight site near a strong sales market can beat a big site where nothing much can go.
It's also why a developer's number sometimes looks lower than a headline "land per acre" figure you've read online. Those figures ignore what it costs to actually build. The residual doesn't. When we give you a number, we'll show you the appraisal it came from.
Selling with or without planning permission.
- Sell without planning, unconditionally. Simplest and fastest. You take a lower figure but you get certainty and a clean exit, and you carry none of the planning risk. Right for owners who want the money and want it done.
- Sell subject to planning (conditional). The developer applies for consent and buys only if it's granted, usually at a higher price. You wait, but you don't pay for the planning and you don't carry the risk of refusal. The trade is time for value.
- Get planning yourself, then sell. Can achieve the highest price, but you fund the application, wait months or years, and wear the loss if it's refused. Worth it on the right site, painful on the wrong one.
- Option or promotion agreement. A longer-term route where a developer or promoter secures the land, gets planning over several years, and buys or sells it on. Real value for the right site, but they tie your land up and the terms are everything. Options and promotion agreements explained.
There's no single right answer. It turns on your site, how much risk you want to carry, and how soon you need the money. We'll tell you honestly which route we think fits, even when the answer is "sell it fast and unconditionally" and there's less in it for us.
The sites that interest us.
- Residential and mixed-use development land, with or without planning
- Brownfield and former commercial or industrial sites
- Old buildings suited to conversion or replacement
- Garden land, infill plots and back-land with access
- Sites already under an option or promotion agreement you want out of, or a view on
- Land where the numbers are marginal and you want an honest second opinion
We build residential-led schemes across the North West: Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire, and into Liverpool and Leeds. If your site's outside that but the deal's right, still send it. See what we build →
How quickly can it happen?
The route sets the pace. An unconditional purchase of a clean site can complete in weeks, because we fund it ourselves and we're not waiting on a lending decision. A sale subject to planning completes when planning does, which is usually a year or more, because that's the point of it.
What speeds any deal up is information. Title, boundaries, access, planning history, any existing agreements: the sooner we see them, the sooner we can give you a real number instead of a hedged one. What slows it down is surprises that surface late in legals.
Know of a site? We pay for introductions.
If you're a land agent, planning consultant, solicitor or someone who simply knows a site that might sell, introduce it. If it leads to a purchase, you're rewarded or retained, and it's agreed up front and in writing, not left vague.
We work with agents on repeat, not once. Straight dealing is the only way that keeps happening.
A site, and an honest number.
- Call0333 577 1988
- Emailinfo@huntergrey.co.uk
- Office139-143 Union St, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL1 1TE
Rather share the upside than sell outright? Joint ventures →
Selling land, answered.
How do I sell my land to a developer?
Send the address, size and any planning history to a developer who buys in your area. A serious developer will appraise the site (what could be built, what it would sell for, what it would cost) and come back with a view on value and a route to buy. You don't need planning permission to start the conversation.
What is my land worth to a developer?
A developer values land by residual: work out the finished value of what could be built, take away build costs, finance, professional fees and profit, and what's left is what the land can bear. Two sites the same size can be worth very different sums depending on what and how much can be built on each.
Should I get planning permission before I sell?
Not necessarily. Planning adds value but costs money and time and can fail. You can sell without planning, sell with an outline consent, or sell subject to planning where the developer takes the risk. Which is best depends on your site, your appetite for risk and how quickly you need the money.
Can I sell land without planning permission?
Yes. Developers regularly buy land without planning, either unconditionally at a lower price, or conditionally, subject to obtaining consent. A conditional sale can achieve a higher figure but completes only if planning is granted.
How long does it take to sell land to a developer?
An unconditional sale of a straightforward site can complete in weeks. A sale subject to planning takes as long as planning takes, often a year or more, because completion waits on the decision. The route you choose sets the timescale more than anything else.
What is the difference between an option and a promotion agreement?
Under an option, a developer secures the right to buy your land later, usually after getting planning, at a price set by the agreement. Under a promotion agreement, a promoter gets planning and then sells your land on the open market, taking a share of the proceeds, so your interests are more aligned. Both tie your land up for years and both should be reviewed by a solicitor before you sign. Options · Promotion agreements
Do I pay tax when I sell land?
Usually, yes. Selling land can trigger capital gains tax, and the position changes if the land is part of your home, a business asset or agricultural. The tax can be significant enough to change which deal is worth doing, so take advice from an accountant before you commit, not after. Tax on selling land →