Sell land for affordable homes in Caterham
We consider land for affordable housing in Caterham and across Surrey, from sites close to the CR3 postcode district out towards Coulsdon and Purley.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Caterham at a glance
Caterham (CR3) sits in OS grid square TQ35, some 21 miles east of Woking. Sites between here and Coulsdon or Redhill are just as much of interest to us.
Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, and the Surrey Hills National Landscape covers much of the rest.
| Town | Caterham |
|---|---|
| County | Surrey |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CR3 |
| OS grid square | TQ35 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Coulsdon (4 mi), Purley (4 mi), Redhill (5 mi) |
| Distance from Woking | About 21 miles east |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What makes land for affordable housing near Caterham worth an offer
- Small fields or paddocks adjoining a village
- 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
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.
How we arrive at a figure for land in Surrey
Land price norms
Exception site land is typically priced well above farmland but below open-market housing land.
Scheme size
Exception sites are usually small and proportionate to the village.
Access and services
Costs of roads and drainage come out of a smaller budget than market housing.
Long-term control
Legal agreements keep the homes affordable, often with local occupancy rules.
Four routes to a sale
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.
How a sale works
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
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.
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.
Common problems, and how we handle them
You're worried about the price
Exception site land sells for less than market housing land by design. We'll show you the basis so you can compare it with farmland value.
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.
Useful to send us
- The address or postcode
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Your title number, if you know it
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Questions from landowners near Caterham
What is a rural exception site?
It is a small site, usually next to a village, where planning permission can be granted for affordable homes as an exception to normal policy, to meet a proven local need.
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.
How do I get an offer for land in Caterham?
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.
More land we buy in Caterham
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- Green belt and grey belt land
- 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 Caterham
- Land for affordable homes in Surrey
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Caterham
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.