Sell development land in St Albans
Whether your land is in St Albans itself or in the villages between St Albans and Harpenden, we'll look at it properly before making any offer.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
Selling land near St Albans?
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Land around St Albans
The land we're most interested in near St Albans sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Harpenden (5 miles) and Hatfield (5 miles).
Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, which makes land with genuine development prospects scarce and keenly contested.
| Town | St Albans |
|---|---|
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | AL1 |
| OS grid square | TL10 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Harpenden (5 mi), Hatfield (5 mi), Hemel Hempstead (5 mi) |
| Distance from Watford | About 7 miles north |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What makes development land near St Albans worth an offer
- 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
- Mains water, drainage and electricity nearby
- Sites allocated, or put forward, in the local plan
Most development land starts life as an ordinary field. What makes it valuable is where it sits: next to existing homes, close to a road, inside or near a settlement boundary. We assess those things first and give you a straight answer.
How we arrive at a figure for land in Hertfordshire
Planning status
Land with an implementable permission is worth far more than land with none, because the biggest risk has gone.
Access
A frontage onto an adopted road removes cost and uncertainty; a third party controlling access can cut value sharply.
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.
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.
How a sale works
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.
The legal work
Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.
What England's rules mean for your land
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.
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.
Section 106 and CIL
Larger schemes often need a Section 106 agreement for affordable housing or contributions, and councils that have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charge it per square metre of new floorspace.
Common problems, and how we handle them
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
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Photos of the land and its access
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
What people ask us about development land
How do I know if my land is development land?
Ask three questions: does it sit next to existing homes, can a car get onto it safely from a public road, and is it outside the worst flood risk? If the answer to all three is yes, it is worth an appraisal. We will tell you honestly if we don't think homes are achievable.
What size of site do you buy?
We look at sites from around a quarter of an acre for a single plot up to large fields on the edge of towns. Size matters less than location, access and planning prospects.
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.
Can you visit land near St Albans?
Yes. Once we've looked at the title and planning position, we arrange a site visit if the land looks suitable. Send the address or postcode to start.
Also near St Albans
More land we buy in St Albans
- 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
- 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 St Albans
- Development land in Hertfordshire
Get a straight answer about your land
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.