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Option agreements for land in Grays

For owners in Grays and the RM17 area, an option agreement is worth understanding before you talk to any buyer, including us.

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.

  • Free appraisal and written offer
  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • Independent advice encouraged

Tell us about your land

Free, no-obligation appraisal.

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

Grays at a glance

Grays lies in Essex, some 17 miles west of Southend-on-Sea. Nearby, we also look at land around South Ockendon (3 miles), Gravesend (3 miles) and Dartford (5 miles).

TownGrays
CountyEssex
CountryEngland
Postcode districtRM17
OS grid squareTQ67
Nearest towns we coverSouth Ockendon (3 mi), Gravesend (3 mi), Dartford (5 mi)
Distance from Southend-on-SeaAbout 17 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

Is an option agreement right for your land?

  • Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
  • Holdings where several owners need to work together
  • Owners who want to keep farming until development
  • 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.

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.

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.

Land near Grays that an option agreement suits

Green belt and grey belt land in Grays

Common for green belt land promoted through a local plan review.

Small sites in Grays

Useful if land needs assembling from more than one owner.

Redundant commercial and industrial land in Grays

Useful where vacant possession is some way off.

Landlocked land and access problems in Grays

Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.

What happens next

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We do the homework

    We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.

  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.

Planning and legal points for land in Essex

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
  • 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

Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?

Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.

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.

How long do options last?

It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.

Do you buy land in Grays?

Yes. We consider land in and around Grays 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.

Nearby towns

Other land in Grays

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.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248