With suitable building land a premium and a lack of available property in many UK regions some homeowners are looking to their own houses and plots as development opportunities. Properties that possess large gardens or adjacent land with road accessibility and/or expansive driveways can provide the opportunity to build a house on your land.
When looking to build within your current plot there are several options:
- Sell both your existing home and the new plot with Planning Permission.
- Remain in your house and sell the plot with Planning Permission.
- Build the new house in your garden and sell, rent, or provide it to a family member.
- Build a new home for yourself and sell or rent your existing property.
Before embarking on your build journey there are some elements that are worth looking into:
- Check with the Land Registry to ensure that the plot you’re looking to build on does not hold any covenants. If you obtain planning and there is a restrictive covenant in place this could override the planning permission and prevent you from building. In some cases covenants can be removed; however, a solicitor would need to be involved in this process.
- Is the plot within the countryside and/or sit within a conservation area? Stricter rules apply when it comes to building on this type of land.
- Availability of space and access. Consider not only the space and access of the property you wish to build, but also existing including neighbouring properties.
- Existing property value. A reduction in value should be expected as a proportion of the plot will be removed; however, this should be weighed up against the increase in overall value.
When it comes to financing, personal circumstances will determine which route you go down; however, one possible route which may not be so obvious would be to undertake a joint venture with an interested party. Entertaining a joint venture with an experienced developer or builder could be the perfect match. In some instances, the builder will provide the funds for the build and then a proportion of the sale will be retained. As with all joint ventures, careful consideration would need to be given when choosing the right partner.
Upright Construction has worked with a number of homeowners to develop their land and successfully sell the new properties. If you’re looking to build a house within your garden click here to contact us and take your development opportunity further.