Sell a small development site in Portland
We consider small development sites in Portland and across Dorset, from sites close to the DT5 postcode district out towards Weymouth and Dorchester.
A small site is a piece of land that could take a handful of homes, typically up to around nine. National housebuilders often overlook small sites, which is where a regional builder buying direct can offer a better route to sale.
- 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.
Land around Portland
Our appraisals for Portland start with the DT5 postcode district and the OS grid square SY67, then widen out to Weymouth, Dorchester and Poole, all within about 23 miles.
Chalk downland and coast, much of it inside the Dorset National Landscape, with the South East Dorset green belt around Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
| Town | Portland |
|---|---|
| County | Dorset |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | DT5 |
| OS grid square | SY67 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Weymouth (3 mi), Dorchester (10 mi), Poole (23 mi) |
| Distance from Bournemouth | About 27 miles south-west |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What makes small development sites near Portland worth an offer
- Corner plots, odd-shaped parcels and leftover land
- Land at the end of cul-de-sacs
- Old yards, depots and lock-up sites
- Small sites in villages where policy supports limited growth
Small sites are a focus for us. They're too small for many national housebuilders, and too complicated for many self-builders, which can leave owners without an obvious buyer.
How we arrive at a figure for land in Dorset
Affordable housing thresholds
In England, schemes under ten homes usually fall below the national threshold; many Welsh plans seek affordable housing from smaller sites.
Access
A short private drive can serve a few homes; more need an adoptable road.
Trees and boundaries
Mature trees and hedges on small sites have a big effect on layout.
Build costs
Small sites cost more per home to build, which the land price reflects.
Ways to sell this land
How a sale works
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.
Biodiversity net gain
Under the Environment Act 2021, most developments in England must deliver at least a 10% gain in biodiversity. Since 6 August 2026, sites of 0.2 hectares or less are exempt unless priority habitat is affected.
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.
When the land isn't straightforward
There's a protected tree
We design around it and allow for root protection areas.
The access is tight
We check whether it can serve the number of homes proposed.
Useful to send us
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
What people ask us about small development sites
What is a small site?
Usually a site for fewer than ten homes. Definitions vary, but these are the sites larger builders often pass over.
Do small sites need affordable housing?
In England, national policy generally doesn't seek affordable housing on schemes below ten homes, though some rural areas set lower thresholds. In Wales, many Local Development Plans seek contributions from smaller sites. We check the local policy.
Will you buy a site that needs demolition?
Yes. We price in demolition and any contamination clean-up.
Do you cover the villages around Portland?
Yes. Villages between Portland, Weymouth and Dorchester often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land in Portland
- Development land
- 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
- 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 Portland
- Small sites in Dorset
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Portland
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.