Sell land for affordable homes in Godalming
If you own land for affordable housing near Godalming, we can usually tell you quite quickly whether it suits us, and if it doesn't, we'll say why.
A rural exception site is a small site on the edge of a village, where housing would not normally be allowed, that can be granted permission for affordable homes to meet a local need. Land sold for this purpose usually achieves more than farmland value, though less than open-market housing land.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
Tell us about your land
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Land around Godalming
Godalming (GU7) sits in OS grid square SU94, about 10 miles south of Woking. Sites between here and Guildford or Farnham 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 | Godalming |
|---|---|
| County | Surrey |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | GU7 |
| OS grid square | SU94 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Guildford (4 mi), Aldershot (8 mi), Farnham (8 mi) |
| Distance from Woking | About 10 miles south |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What we look for around Godalming
- 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
- Land owned by families, estates, churches or charities
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
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.
Scheme size
Exception sites are usually small and proportionate to the village.
Choosing how to sell
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.
What happens next
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.
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.
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
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Your questions answered
Do rural exception sites exist in Wales?
Yes. Welsh planning policy also supports rural exception sites for affordable housing that meets local need.
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.
Who lives in the homes?
Usually people with a local connection who can't afford market housing, chosen under rules set in a legal agreement.
Do you cover the villages around Godalming?
Yes. Villages between Godalming, Guildford and Aldershot often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land in Godalming
- 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 Godalming
- Land for affordable homes in Surrey
Ready to talk about your land in Godalming?
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.