Option agreements for land in Dunstable
Choosing how to sell matters as much as choosing who to sell to. For land near Dunstable, an option agreement trades certainty and timing in a particular way.
An option agreement gives a buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy land within a set period, usually once planning permission is obtained. The landowner receives an option fee up front and, if the option is exercised, a price normally based on market value with permission, less agreed deductions.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Get an offer for land in Dunstable
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Dunstable at a glance
Dunstable lies in Bedfordshire, about 5 miles west of Luton. Nearby, we also look at land around Luton (5 miles), Leighton Buzzard (6 miles) and Flitwick (8 miles).
Clay-vale farmland rises to the chalk of the Chilterns around Dunstable, and the Metropolitan Green Belt covers much of the south of the county around Luton.
| Town | Dunstable |
|---|---|
| County | Bedfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | LU6 |
| OS grid square | TL02 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Luton (5 mi), Leighton Buzzard (6 mi), Flitwick (8 mi) |
| Distance from Luton | About 5 miles west |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| When you're paid | Option fee now, price when the option is exercised |
| Planning costs | Ours, sometimes recoverable from the price |
Who an option agreement works best for
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
Options are the usual way to bring larger sites forward. They let us invest in planning while you keep ownership and the use of your land.
The terms that matter
Purchase price
Often a percentage of market value with permission, less agreed costs.
Minimum price
A floor that protects you if values fall.
Deductions
Which planning and infrastructure costs come off the price before you're paid.
Your obligations
Agreements set what you can and can't do with the land in the meantime.
Land near Dunstable that an option agreement suits
Development land in Dunstable
Suits larger fields where the planning route may take several years.
Green belt and grey belt land in Dunstable
Common for green belt land promoted through a local plan review.
Barns and rural buildings in Dunstable
Less common for single buildings but can suit whole farmyards.
Inherited and probate land in Dunstable
Can suit families who want to hold on while planning is explored.
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.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
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.
Awkward details we deal with
You're worried about the deductions
Ask for a clear list and a cap on what can be deducted. We'll explain each one.
You want to be sure we'll actually pursue planning
Agreements can include obligations to use reasonable endeavours and set milestones.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- Photos of the land and its access
Your questions answered
Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?
Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.
How is the price set?
Usually as a percentage of the land's market value once permission is granted, minus agreed costs, with a minimum price. The percentage and deductions are negotiated.
Can I sell to someone else during the option?
Not usually. The option binds the land, and it's normally registered against your title.
Do you cover the villages around Dunstable?
Yes. Villages between Dunstable, Luton and Leighton Buzzard often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Also near Dunstable
Other land in Dunstable
- 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
- 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
- Joint ventures
- All land in Dunstable
- Option agreements in Bedfordshire
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Dunstable
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.