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Option agreements for land in Brentwood

We offer an option agreement on land across Essex, including sites around Brentwood, Billericay and Hornchurch.

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

Selling land near Brentwood?

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Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Land around Brentwood

The land we're most interested in near Brentwood sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Billericay (5 miles) and Hornchurch (6 miles).

TownBrentwood
CountyEssex
CountryEngland
Postcode districtCM14
OS grid squareTQ59
Nearest towns we coverBillericay (5 mi), Hornchurch (6 mi), Romford (6 mi)
Distance from Southend-on-SeaAbout 18 miles west
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
When you're paidOption fee now, price when the option is exercised
Planning costsOurs, sometimes recoverable from the price
Two people in outdoor jackets walking along a hedgerow, one pointing across the field

When an option agreement suits land near Brentwood

  • 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
  • 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

Purchase price

Often a percentage of market value with permission, less agreed costs.

Deductions

Which planning and infrastructure costs come off the price before you're paid.

Exercise triggers

What has to happen before we can buy.

Your obligations

Agreements set what you can and can't do with the land in the meantime.

How a sale works

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We check it properly

    Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.

  3. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  4. 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.

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'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 rough size, in acres or hectares
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • Any planning applications or letters

Questions from landowners near Brentwood

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 Brentwood?

Yes. We consider land in and around Brentwood and across Essex. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.

Get a straight answer about your land

Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.