Option agreements for land in Falmouth
If you own land near Falmouth, you may be wondering whether an option agreement would suit you. The answer depends on your land's planning prospects and how soon you want to be paid.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No pressure to decide
- We fund the planning work
Get an offer for land in Falmouth
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Falmouth sits
Our appraisals for Falmouth start with the TR11 postcode district and the OS grid square SW83, then widen out to Truro, Redruth and Helston, all within about 10 miles.
A mostly rural county with much of its coast inside the Cornwall National Landscape. New homes are concentrated in and around the main towns.
| Town | Falmouth |
|---|---|
| County | Cornwall |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | TR11 |
| OS grid square | SW83 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Truro (8 mi), Redruth (9 mi), Helston (10 mi) |
| Distance from Truro | About 8 miles south |
| 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
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Holdings where several owners need to work together
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
- Sites with technical issues that need time to resolve
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.
How the money works
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.
Deductions
Which planning and infrastructure costs come off the price before you're paid.
Land near Falmouth that an option agreement suits
Land with planning permission in Falmouth
Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.
Barns and rural buildings in Falmouth
Less common for single buildings but can suit whole farmyards.
Garden land and backland in Falmouth
Useful when several neighbours' gardens are being assembled.
Redundant commercial and industrial land in Falmouth
Useful where vacant possession is some way off.
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.
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.
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.
When the land isn't straightforward
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'd like your advisers' costs covered
Many option agreements include a contribution to the landowner's legal and agent costs. We'll tell you if ours does.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Your title number, if you know it
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- Photos of the land and its access
Common questions
How long do options last?
It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.
Can I sell to someone else during the option?
Not usually. The option binds the land, and it's normally registered against your title.
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 cover the villages around Falmouth?
Yes. Villages between Falmouth, Truro and Redruth often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land types and routes
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- 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 Falmouth
- Option agreements in Cornwall
Ready to talk about your land in Falmouth?
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.