Option agreements for land in Eastbourne
If you own land near Eastbourne, 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
- Independent advice encouraged
- We fund the planning work
Selling land near Eastbourne?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Eastbourne sits
The land we're most interested in near Eastbourne sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Hailsham (7 miles) and Seaford (8 miles).
Much of the county lies in the South Downs National Park or the High Weald National Landscape, which limits greenfield development outside the towns.
| Town | Eastbourne |
|---|---|
| County | East Sussex |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | BN21 |
| OS grid square | TV69 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Hailsham (7 mi), Seaford (8 mi), Bexhill-on-Sea (10 mi) |
| Distance from Brighton | About 19 miles 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?
- 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
- 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.
The terms that matter
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.
Deductions
Which planning and infrastructure costs come off the price before you're paid.
Exercise triggers
What has to happen before we can buy.
Land near Eastbourne that an option agreement suits
Land for affordable homes in Eastbourne
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Small sites in Eastbourne
Useful if land needs assembling from more than one owner.
Brownfield land in Eastbourne
Can suit larger brownfield sites with a longer planning route.
Inherited and probate land in Eastbourne
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.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
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'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
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Common questions
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.
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 buy land in Eastbourne?
Yes. We consider land in and around Eastbourne and across East Sussex. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Also near Eastbourne
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 Eastbourne
- Option agreements in East Sussex
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.