Sell land for affordable homes in Dorset
If you're looking to sell land for affordable homes anywhere in Dorset, we'll appraise it for free and explain our offer in writing.
Exception sites work differently from normal housing land. The price is lower than open-market development land but well above agricultural value, and the homes stay affordable for the community.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
Get an offer for land in Dorset
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Land for affordable homes in Dorset at a glance
Chalk downland and coast, much of it inside the Dorset National Landscape, with the South East Dorset green belt around Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
| County | Dorset |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Towns we cover here | 10 |
| Main town | Bournemouth |
| Example postcode districts | BH1, BH15, BH17, BH21, BH22 |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
Land we're keen to see in Dorset
- Small fields or paddocks adjoining a village
- Villages with evidence of local housing need
- Sites with safe access and walking routes to village facilities
- Land suitable for a handful of homes up to a small scheme
- Parish councils open to a community-led scheme
Affordable and social housing is part of the land-to-homes work we're setting out to do. If you own land on the edge of a village and want it to house local people, a rural exception scheme may be the right route.
The things that move our offer
Local policy
Each council sets its own rules for exception sites, including whether any market homes are allowed.
Housing need
A local housing needs survey usually has to show demand for the homes.
Land price norms
Exception site land is typically priced well above farmland but below open-market housing land.
Long-term control
Legal agreements keep the homes affordable, often with local occupancy rules.
Four routes to a sale
Many landowners like the idea of land helping local families. We explain how exception sites work, what the price is based on and how local need is shown.
Outright purchase
Possible once an exception scheme has permission.
Subject-to-planning sale
The usual route: we agree a price and complete when permission is granted.
Option agreements
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Joint ventures
Can suit estates and charities that want an ongoing say in the homes.
From first call to completion
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We check it properly
Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
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.
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.
Rural exception sites
The National Planning Policy Framework supports small rural exception sites for affordable homes that meet a local need.
Awkward details we deal with
The village has no recent housing survey
Need can be evidenced through a new survey with the parish council and the council's housing team.
You're a charity or trust
Charity trustees usually need advice from a designated adviser before disposing of land. We'll work with your adviser.
Useful to send us
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Common questions
Will I get open-market land value?
No. Exception sites are priced below open-market housing land because the homes must stay affordable. The price is still usually well above agricultural value.
Can some homes be sold on the open market?
Some councils allow a small number of market homes to make a scheme viable. It depends on local policy.
Do you plan affordable housing?
Yes. Affordable and social housing is part of the land-to-homes work the S&K Group is setting out to do, and we can talk through how a scheme on your land might work.
Do you buy land in Dorset?
Yes. We consider land across Dorset, from Bournemouth to the smaller towns and villages. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, and we'll tell you either way.
Land for affordable homes by town in Dorset
Find out what we'd pay for your land in Dorset
Send the postcode and a rough size and we'll come back with a straight answer.