Sell redundant commercial or industrial land in Cowes
Our interest in redundant commercial land around Cowes is simple: we're buying land to build homes on, so we look for sites where homes are realistic and price them on that basis.
Redundant commercial and industrial land is a business site no longer needed for its original use, such as a small industrial unit, haulage yard or showroom. Where the site sits among homes, redevelopment for housing is often the best long-term use, subject to planning policy on employment land.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
Tell us about your land
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where Cowes sits
From Cowes, it's 4 miles to Newport, Isle of Wight and 6 miles to Ryde. We buy land across that whole stretch of the Isle of Wight, not only within the town.
Around half the island is a national landscape. New homes are focused on the main towns and shaped by the island's setting.
| Town | Cowes |
|---|---|
| County | Isle of Wight |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | PO31 |
| OS grid square | SZ49 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Newport, Isle of Wight (4 mi), Ryde (6 mi), Gosport (8 mi) |
| Distance from Newport | About 4 miles north |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What makes redundant commercial land near Cowes worth an offer
- Haulage yards, builders' yards and depots
- Former showrooms, garages and workshops
- Commercial buildings with permitted development potential
- Businesses looking for a sale and short leaseback
If your business has moved, closed or outgrown its premises, the site may be worth more as housing than as commercial space.
The things that move our offer
Employment land policy
Some councils require evidence that commercial use is no longer viable before allowing homes.
Existing use value
A let or lettable commercial site has a value that a housing offer must exceed.
Demolition and contamination
Industrial uses can leave contamination that needs investigating.
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 check it properly
Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
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.
When the land isn't straightforward
You still need the premises for now
A conditional deal or a short leaseback lets you keep operating until you're ready to move.
The council protects employment land
We look at marketing evidence and viability. Some sites won't qualify, and we'll say so.
Useful to send us
- The address or postcode
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Your questions answered
Do you buy sites with tenants in place?
Yes. We review the leases and allow for the time and cost of obtaining vacant possession.
Will contamination stop a sale?
Rarely. It usually affects the price and the timetable rather than whether we buy.
Do I pay VAT on the sale?
Commercial property can be subject to VAT if an option to tax has been made. Ask your accountant and tell your solicitor early.
How do I get an offer for land in Cowes?
Use the form on this page or call 0800 088 6248. Tell us the postcode, the rough size and anything you know about planning, and we'll come back to you.
Other land types and routes
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- 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 Cowes
- Redundant commercial and industrial land in the Isle of Wight
Get a straight answer about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.