Option agreements for land in Exmouth
If you own land near Exmouth, 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.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Exmouth sits
Exmouth lies in Devon, some 37 miles north-east of Plymouth. Nearby, we also look at land around Heavitree (8 miles), Exeter (9 miles) and Newton Abbot (11 miles).
| Town | Exmouth |
|---|---|
| County | Devon |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | EX8 |
| OS grid square | SY08 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Heavitree (8 mi), Exeter (9 mi), Newton Abbot (11 mi) |
| Distance from Plymouth | About 37 miles north-east |
| 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 |
Is an option agreement right for your land?
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
- Owners who want to keep farming until development
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
Purchase price
Often a percentage of market value with permission, less agreed costs.
Minimum price
A floor that protects you if values fall.
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 Exmouth that an option agreement suits
Development land in Exmouth
Suits larger fields where the planning route may take several years.
Land without planning permission in Exmouth
We pay for the right to buy later and fund the planning work meanwhile.
Building plots in Exmouth
Rarely needed for single plots.
Landlocked land and access problems in Exmouth
Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.
From first call to completion
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
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.
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 plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Your questions answered
What is an option agreement?
A contract that gives the buyer the right to buy your land within a set period, usually after planning permission is granted. You receive an option fee now and the purchase price if the option is exercised.
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.
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 Exmouth?
Yes. We consider land in and around Exmouth and across Devon. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Other land in Exmouth
- 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 Exmouth
- Option agreements in Devon
Get a straight answer about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.