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Sell barns and rural buildings in Exeter

If you want to sell barns and rural buildings in Exeter, you can deal with the buyer directly. We look at the land, explain what it's worth and why, and leave the decision with you.

Barns and rural buildings range from traditional brick and stone barns to modern steel-framed sheds. Many can be converted to homes or replaced with new ones, either through a full planning application or, in England, through prior approval under permitted development rights.

  • Free appraisal and written offer
  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • No pressure to decide

Tell us about your land

Send the postcode and a rough size.

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Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Where Exeter sits

Exeter (EX2) sits in OS grid square SX99, some 36 miles north-east of Plymouth. Sites between here and Heavitree or Tiverton are just as much of interest to us.

A large rural county with Dartmoor and part of Exmoor, several national landscapes, and growth centred on Exeter, Plymouth and the market towns.

TownExeter
CountyDevon
CountryEngland
Postcode districtEX2
OS grid squareSX99
Nearest towns we coverHeavitree (1 mi), Exmouth (9 mi), Tiverton (12 mi)
Distance from PlymouthAbout 36 miles north-east
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
Ways to sellOutright, subject to planning, option or joint venture
Traditional red-brick barn beside a modern green steel agricultural building in a farmyard

What makes barns and rural buildings near Exeter worth an offer

  • Traditional brick, stone or timber barns
  • Farmyards with several buildings and hardstanding
  • Buildings with existing road access
  • Former agricultural buildings in or near villages

Redundant farm buildings can be worth far more as homes than as storage. The route to consent depends on the building, its location and whether you're in England or Wales.

What affects the price

Structural condition

Conversions generally need a building strong enough to convert without rebuilding.

Listed status

Listed and curtilage-listed buildings need listed building consent and careful design.

Agricultural use history

Class Q rights depend on the building's past agricultural use.

Retained land

Selling buildings from a working farm needs rights carefully reserved.

Ways to sell this land

Outright purchase

Suits buildings with consent or prior approval already in place.

Subject-to-planning sale

We complete once planning consent is secured.

Option agreements

Less common for single buildings but can suit whole farmyards.

Joint ventures

Worth considering for a larger yard you'd like to see developed well.

How a sale works

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We do the homework

    We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.

  3. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  4. The legal work

    Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.

Rules that apply in England

Planning framework

Planning decisions in England follow the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026, and the local plan, prepared by the council or, in a national park, the park authority. Plans are reviewed periodically, which is when new housing sites are usually allocated.

Heritage

Listed buildings and conservation areas are managed with Historic England and the council's conservation team.

Farm tenancies

Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies and farm business tenancies have their own notice and compensation rules, which affect when land can be developed.

Common problems, and how we handle them

You're not sure Class Q applies

In England, Class Q has detailed limits and conditions. We check eligibility before assuming it.

The barn is listed

Listed barns can still be converted with consent, but the design must respect the building.

Useful to send us

  • A rough size, in acres or hectares
  • Any planning applications or letters
  • Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
  • How soon you'd ideally like to sell

Your questions answered

What is Class Q?

Class Q is a permitted development right in England that allows some agricultural buildings to become homes through a prior approval process, rather than a full planning application, subject to limits and conditions.

Will you buy a barn in poor condition?

Yes, but condition affects the planning route and the cost, so it affects the price.

Do I need surveys before selling?

No. We arrange what we need. If you already have structural or ecology surveys, they help.

Do you cover the villages around Exeter?

Yes. Villages between Exeter, Heavitree and Exmouth often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.

Nearby towns

Other land types and routes

Find out what we'd pay for your land near Exeter

Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248