Option agreements for land in Dorset
For landowners in Dorset, 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.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- Independent advice encouraged
Get an offer for land in Dorset
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Option agreements in Dorset at a glance
Chalk downland and coast, much of it inside the Dorset National Landscape, with the South East Dorset green belt around Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
| County | Dorset |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Towns we cover here | 10 |
| Main town | Bournemouth |
| Example postcode districts | BH1, BH15, BH17, BH21, BH22 |
| 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 |
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
- Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
- Holdings where several owners need to work together
- 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.
What to check in an option agreement
Option fee
A payment on signing, which you usually keep even if the option isn't exercised.
Minimum price
A floor that protects you if values fall.
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 Dorset
Land for affordable homes in Dorset
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Farmland and agricultural land in Dorset
Common for edge-of-town farmland promoted through the local plan.
Paddocks and equestrian land in Dorset
Useful where the paddock could form part of a wider site.
Infill plots and gap sites in Dorset
Seldom needed for single infill plots.
Brownfield land in Dorset
Can suit larger brownfield sites with a longer planning route.
Landlocked land and access problems in Dorset
Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.
How a sale works
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.
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
- The address or postcode
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Photos of the land and its access
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.
Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?
Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.
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 Dorset?
Yes. We consider land across Dorset, from Bournemouth 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 Dorset
Find out what we'd pay for your land in Dorset
Send the postcode and a rough size and we'll come back with a straight answer.