Option agreements for land in Buckinghamshire
For landowners in Buckinghamshire, an option agreement is one of four ways to sell to us. Here's how it works there.
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
Get an offer for land in Buckinghamshire
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Option agreements in Buckinghamshire at a glance
The south is largely Metropolitan Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape, while the north around Milton Keynes and Aylesbury has absorbed major growth.
| County | Buckinghamshire |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Towns we cover here | 10 |
| Main town | Milton Keynes |
| Example postcode districts | HP5, HP6, HP7, HP13, HP19 |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| When you're paid | Option fee now, price when the option is exercised |
| Timescale | Often several years |
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
- Holdings where several owners need to work together
- Owners who want to keep farming until development
- Sites with technical issues that need time to resolve
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
What to check in an option agreement
Option fee
A payment on signing, which you usually keep even if the option isn't exercised.
Purchase price
Often a percentage of market value with permission, less agreed costs.
Term
How long we have to secure permission and exercise the option.
Exercise triggers
What has to happen before we can buy.
Land an option agreement works for in Buckinghamshire
Development land in Buckinghamshire
Suits larger fields where the planning route may take several years.
Land with planning permission in Buckinghamshire
Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.
Green belt and grey belt land in Buckinghamshire
Common for green belt land promoted through a local plan review.
Paddocks and equestrian land in Buckinghamshire
Useful where the paddock could form part of a wider site.
Garden land and backland in Buckinghamshire
Useful when several neighbours' gardens are being assembled.
Infill plots and gap sites in Buckinghamshire
Seldom needed for single infill plots.
What happens next
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
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.
Common problems, and how we handle them
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
- The address or postcode
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
What people ask us about an option 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.
How long do options last?
It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.
What's the difference between an option and a promotion agreement?
Under an option the buyer has the right to buy the land. Under a promotion agreement a promoter gets permission and then sells the land on the open market, taking a share of the proceeds. We offer options, not promotion agreements.
Do you buy land in Buckinghamshire?
Yes. We consider land across Buckinghamshire, from Milton Keynes to the smaller towns and villages. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, and we'll tell you either way.
Option agreements by town in Buckinghamshire
Find out what we'd pay for your land in Buckinghamshire
Send the postcode and a rough size and we'll come back with a straight answer.