Sell development land in Exeter
If you own land around Exeter and want a straight answer about it, we'll tell you whether we can buy it, on what terms, and what the offer is based on.
If you own a field or site on the edge of a settlement, you may be sitting on land a homebuilder wants. We look at the planning history, access and services, then tell you plainly whether we can make an offer and on what basis.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Exeter sits
Exeter lies in Devon, some 36 miles north-east of Plymouth. Nearby, we also look at land around Heavitree (1 mile), Exmouth (9 miles) and Tiverton (12 miles).
A large rural county with Dartmoor and part of Exmoor, several national landscapes, and growth centred on Exeter, Plymouth and the market towns.
| Town | Exeter |
|---|---|
| County | Devon |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | EX2 |
| OS grid square | SX99 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Heavitree (1 mi), Exmouth (9 mi), Tiverton (12 mi) |
| Distance from Plymouth | About 36 miles north-east |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |

Is your land near Exeter a good fit?
- Land that adjoins an existing town, village or housing estate
- A safe point of access onto a public road, or a realistic way to create one
- Sites from around a quarter of an acre upwards
- Sites allocated, or put forward, in the local plan
Selling development land well depends on matching the deal to the planning position. With permission in place, an outright sale is usually simplest. Without it, a conditional contract or option can share the planning risk fairly.
What affects the price
Number of homes
Value follows how many homes the site can sensibly take once roads, open space and drainage are fitted in.
Ground and drainage
Poor ground, contamination or the need for a pumping station all add build cost that comes off the land price.
Local sale values
The price new homes will sell for nearby sets the ceiling on what the land is worth.
Ecology and trees
Protected species, ancient hedgerows and tree preservation orders can reduce the developable area.
Choosing how to sell
Outright purchase
Best where permission is already granted and the title is clean.
Subject-to-planning sale
Lets you lock in a price now that is paid once we secure permission.
Option agreements
Suits larger fields where the planning route may take several years.
Joint ventures
Worth discussing if you want a share of the finished development value.
What happens next
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
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.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
Planning and legal points for land in Devon
Green belt and grey belt
Green belt land is protected from inappropriate development. National policy in England also recognises 'grey belt': green belt land that doesn't strongly contribute to key green belt purposes, where housing can be acceptable if further tests are met.
Biodiversity net gain
Under the Environment Act 2021, most developments in England must deliver at least a 10% gain in biodiversity. Since 6 August 2026, sites of 0.2 hectares or less are exempt unless priority habitat is affected.
Flood risk
Environment Agency flood maps and the sequential test steer new homes away from areas at highest risk of flooding.
When the land isn't straightforward
The site has been refused planning before
A refusal tells us what the council objected to. We read the decision notice and judge whether a different scheme could answer it.
Part of the field floods
We map the flood zones and look at whether homes can sit on the drier part, with the rest used as open space.
Useful to send us
- The address or postcode
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- Photos of the land and its access
Your questions answered
Do you buy development land without planning permission?
Yes. Without permission we usually buy on a subject-to-planning contract or an option, so the price reflects value with permission rather than farmland value. If you need a quick, unconditional sale, we can also make an outright offer that reflects the planning risk.
Will I pay any fees to you?
No. We are the buyer, not an agent, so there is no commission. You will normally pay your own solicitor unless we agree otherwise in writing.
How long does it take to sell development land?
With permission and clean title, a sale can move as fast as the solicitors can complete the legal work. Without permission, timing depends on the planning process, which commonly takes many months and sometimes years for larger sites.
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.
Other land in Exeter
- 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
- Redundant commercial and industrial land
- Inherited and probate land
- Landlocked land and access problems
- Outright purchase
- Subject-to-planning sale
- Option agreements
- Joint ventures
- All land in Exeter
- Development land in Devon
Ready to talk about your land in Exeter?
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.