Sell redundant commercial or industrial land in Portland
Whether your land is in Portland itself or in the villages between Portland and Weymouth, we'll look at it properly before making any offer.
If your business has moved, closed or outgrown its premises, the site may be worth more as housing than as commercial space.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- No pressure to decide
Tell us about your land
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Land around Portland
The land we're most interested in near Portland sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Weymouth (3 miles) and Dorchester (10 miles).
Chalk downland and coast, much of it inside the Dorset National Landscape, with the South East Dorset green belt around Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
| Town | Portland |
|---|---|
| County | Dorset |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | DT5 |
| OS grid square | SY67 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Weymouth (3 mi), Dorchester (10 mi), Poole (23 mi) |
| Distance from Bournemouth | About 27 miles south-west |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
Land we're keen to see around Portland
- Small industrial units and yards in residential areas
- Haulage yards, builders' yards and depots
- Former showrooms, garages and workshops
- Sites with a mix of buildings and open storage
If your business has moved, closed or outgrown its premises, the site may be worth more as housing than as commercial space.
How we arrive at a figure for land in Dorset
Employment land policy
Some councils require evidence that commercial use is no longer viable before allowing homes.
Demolition and contamination
Industrial uses can leave contamination that needs investigating.
Leases
Occupational leases and security of tenure affect timing.
Access
Commercial access often works well for housing, which helps value.
Ways to sell this land
What happens next
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
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.
Brownfield first
National policy gives substantial weight to reusing suitable brownfield land for homes. Councils keep brownfield land registers, and some sites can gain permission in principle.
Tax on the sale
The buyer pays Stamp Duty Land Tax. As the seller you may owe capital gains tax, and some commercial land carries VAT. Take advice from an accountant.
Common problems, and how we handle them
You still need the premises for now
A conditional deal or a short leaseback lets you keep operating until you're ready to move.
There are underground tanks
Fuel tanks are common on old garage and depot sites. We arrange removal as part of the works.
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
Questions from landowners near Portland
Do you buy sites with tenants in place?
Yes. We review the leases and allow for the time and cost of obtaining vacant possession.
What is prior approval for commercial to residential?
In England, permitted development rights allow some commercial buildings to change to homes through a prior approval process, within set limits.
Will contamination stop a sale?
Rarely. It usually affects the price and the timetable rather than whether we buy.
Do you buy land in Portland?
Yes. We consider land in and around Portland and across Dorset. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Also near Portland
Other land in Portland
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- Green belt and grey belt land
- Land for affordable homes
- Farmland and agricultural land
- Paddocks and equestrian land
- Barns and rural buildings
- Building plots
- Garden land and backland
- Infill plots and gap sites
- Small sites
- Garage sites
- Brownfield land
- Inherited and probate land
- Landlocked land and access problems
- Outright purchase
- Subject-to-planning sale
- Option agreements
- Joint ventures
- All land in Portland
- Redundant commercial and industrial land in Dorset
Ready to talk about your land in Portland?
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.