Sell land without planning permission in Exeter
We consider land without planning permission in Exeter and across Devon, from sites close to the EX2 postcode district out towards Heavitree and Exmouth.
If you'd rather not wait for planning, an outright sale gives certainty now. If you can wait, a subject-to-planning or option deal usually pays more in the end.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Exeter?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
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.
| 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 |
What makes land without planning permission near Exeter worth an offer
- Land inside or touching a settlement boundary in the local plan
- Sites the council has assessed in its land availability study
- Former orchards, nurseries and smallholdings
- Land where neighbouring sites have recently gained permission
Most land for sale has no planning permission. That does not stop a sale; it changes how the deal should be structured so the planning risk is shared sensibly.
How we arrive at a figure for land in Devon
Current use value
Agricultural or amenity value is the floor under any offer.
Local plan position
Land allocated, or close to being allocated, for housing carries far more hope value.
Constraints
Green belt, flood zones, heritage and landscape designations reduce the chance of consent.
Deal structure
Conditional and option deals can pay more because the price is fixed against value with permission.
Four routes to a sale
Outright purchase
Certainty now, at a price that reflects the planning risk we take on.
Subject-to-planning sale
We exchange contracts now and complete once permission is granted.
Option agreements
We pay for the right to buy later and fund the planning work meanwhile.
Joint ventures
You keep a stake and share in the value planning creates.
From first call to completion
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.
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.
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.
Farm tenancies
Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies and farm business tenancies have their own notice and compensation rules, which affect when land can be developed.
Awkward details we deal with
The council says the land is outside the settlement
Settlement boundaries change when plans are reviewed. We look at the plan timetable and whether the site could be promoted at the next review.
A neighbour objects to everything
Objections are weighed against planning policy, not counted. We judge the scheme on policy grounds.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
What people ask us about land without planning permission
What is hope value?
Hope value is the premium a buyer pays above the current use value because there is a realistic prospect of planning permission. It is higher the more likely and closer that permission is.
Will getting permission myself increase the price?
It can, but applications cost money and carry risk. We can talk through whether it makes sense for you to apply or for us to do it under a contract.
Do you buy land in the green belt?
Sometimes. Green belt land is hard to develop, though England's planning policy now recognises 'grey belt' land. We will tell you frankly whether your site has a realistic prospect.
Do you buy land in Exeter?
Yes. We consider land in and around Exeter and across Devon. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
More land we buy in Exeter
- Development land
- Land with 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
- Land without planning permission in Devon
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.