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Development land sales
Selling land to developers is often a lengthy, complex process, and you will want to ensure you are getting the fairest value you can. Land survey services offer clear information so you can identify the best way to sell land for development. Survey results support your sales process so you can ensure new boundaries are clearly recorded, you’re selling exactly what you planned, and the legal processes go smoothly.
The challenges of selling your land
What does selling land to developers involve?
Selling land for development starts with assessing your land’s potential. You can choose to sell your piece of land with or without planning permission.
Research the local authority’s planning policies and local plan. Get advice from experts like planning consultants, architects and land surveyors. Every plot of land is different, so they can offer tailored advice. You will also need your Land Registry title plans before sale.
A land agent can help you sell your land to property developers. They can also help to find potential buyers and negotiate the price and terms, such as an option agreement.
Price negotiation
Getting fair value for your land can depend on lots of factors.
Title and boundaries
You will need to establish title and your land’s boundaries.
Demonstrating development potential
You need to show potential buyers your land’s possibilities.
Planning processes
Obtaining planning permission can lengthen the process.
A Guide to Selling Land for Development: Key Considerations
While you can negotiate a price, you can’t control market conditions. If there is low demand, such as during a recession, it will always be harder to sell your land to developers. When it’s a buyer’s market, you may have to accept selling at a lower price or waiting for the market to pick up.
Land sales can also be a lengthy process. Delays and unexpected obstacles may cause developers to back out, leaving you back at square one.
This is the most straightforward way of selling your land to a developer and ideal if you want to sell the land quickly. It means the land is sold without planning permission or any guarantee that it can be developed. The developer is obligated to buy the land on a specific date.
However, unconditional land sales are much more risky for a property developer and your sale price will reflect this. The process will be quicker and simpler, but you are unlikely to get as much for your land.
While gaining planning approvals might seem costly, it can help to increase interest from property developers. If you’re selling land with outline planning permission already in place, it provides more certainty. Your site will be more attractive, with less risk, so they are likely to offer more for the land.
You can save time and make your land sale process smoother by taking advice from professionals. Seek this out as early as possible and before agreeing to anything, even if it’s not legally binding. Professional advice and survey support when selling development land can help you decide whether to go with an unconditional sale, or an option or promotional agreement.
Commercial agents help to market your land and a planning consultant can advise on the land’s development potential. Surveyors provide more information about your land, so you can give potential buyers a more accurate description. A solicitor can help with any concerns about the contract and ensure it’s drafted in your best interests.
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How surveys help when selling your land for development
Having a good idea of your land’s current state will help you understand what you’ve got on your hands. Your buyer will want their own survey. Getting one yourself means there will be no unpleasant surprises that could reduce your land’s value.
Surveys are particularly important if your land hasn’t been surveyed for a long time. They can uncover ways of making your land more marketable as well as increasing land value before selling. You can deal with any developing problems that could put off buyers. There may also have been changes, like surrounding road access, that could increase the value.
Marketing your land well can be challenging. Surveys can give you accurate and up-to-date details that will be useful for prospective buyers. They give buyers confidence that there are unlikely to be any major unforeseen issues. A topographical survey will also help you to demonstrate the possibilities for the site.
If you want to sell your land with planning permission, you will need certain information for the planning application, including surveys. Your surveyor can advise you on planning requirements and how to make the process as smooth as possible.
Surveys can help you provide certainty about legal access and boundaries for the site, including surveying any proposed subdivisions. Surveyors can prepare Land Registry compliant plans for the sales process that show accurate site plans.
What surveys could you need?
As-Built Surveys
A fully up-to-date record of what has just been constructed, ensuring it matches the proposed plans. Useful for producing further plans that require an accurate site layout.
Floor Level Surveys
Quality survey check for various floor construction stages, from existing floors to newly constructed slabs.
Garden Surveys
Highly detailed, specialist topographical survey for garden landscaping and redesigns.
GPS Surveys
Ideal for covering large open spaces, like fields, or where access may be restricted or challenging.
Measured Building Surveys
3D site survey of a building’s layout and structure that can also be used to produce floor plans, elevations and cross-section drawings.
River & Floodplain Surveys
Surveys of riverbanks and beds, as well as adjacent floodplains. We record water levels and significant features for flood risk assessments and erosion monitoring.
Road Surveys
Comprehensive record of current road layouts and levels, including kerbs, street furniture and road markings. Ideal for visibility splays and new highways designs.
Setting Out
Geocordinated setting out services for building groundworks and steelworks for new housing, commercial and industrial sites.
Surveys for Land Registry Title Plans
Site surveys for creating Land Registry compliant plans to record areas of sale, transfer, correction or first registration.
Topographical Surveys
Accurate, scaled plan of a site’s terrain, and a record of the position and levels of both manmade and natural features.
Volumetric Surveys & Terrain Models
Measuring the total amount of stockpiled, extracted or collected materials and aggregates. Suitable for construction, calculating and auditing.
How we work
Step 01
Request a quote
We’ll need your project’s address and a site plan. We’ll then get in touch for a consultation to confirm site details and understand exactly what your project needs.
Step 02
Quote accepted
Once your project is confirmed with us, we’ll arrange a convenient date for your survey.
Step 03
We complete your survey
We’ll visit your project site to carry out the survey. We can meet you on site if needed. We will then process the survey data and create a survey drawing.
Step 04
Receive your survey
We’ll share the survey data with you, usually within a few days. We use industry standard file types and can issue all the drawings in multiple formats.
Who we work with
Why choose Cheshire Surveys
We provide a range of surveys and related services across the North West, Cheshire, North Staffordshire and North Wales.
Passion & technical expertise
25+ years experience
Quality services tailored to your project
