Option agreements for land in Wickford
If you own land in or around Wickford, option agreements is one of four ways you can sell it to us. Here's how it works and when it makes sense.
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
Get an offer for land in Wickford
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Wickford sits
The land we're most interested in near Wickford sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Pitsea (3 miles) and Rayleigh (4 miles).
Metropolitan Green Belt covers the south and west of the county, while mid and north Essex have larger areas of farmland around growing towns.
| Town | Wickford |
|---|---|
| County | Essex |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | SS12 |
| OS grid square | TQ79 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Pitsea (3 mi), Rayleigh (4 mi), Basildon (4 mi) |
| Distance from Southend-on-Sea | About 10 miles north-west |
| 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?
- Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
- Holdings where several owners need to work together
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
- Owners who want to keep farming until development
An option can capture more of your land's value where it needs a long planning journey, but the details matter. We explain every term before you commit.
The terms that matter
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 Wickford that an option agreement suits
Land for affordable homes in Wickford
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Paddocks and equestrian land in Wickford
Useful where the paddock could form part of a wider site.
Barns and rural buildings in Wickford
Less common for single buildings but can suit whole farmyards.
Garage sites in Wickford
Rarely needed unless several garage owners are involved.
What happens next
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
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.
Awkward details we deal with
You want to be sure we'll actually pursue planning
Agreements can include obligations to use reasonable endeavours and set milestones.
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
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
What people ask us about an option agreement
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.
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 cover the villages around Wickford?
Yes. Villages between Wickford, Pitsea and Rayleigh often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land in Wickford
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- Green belt and grey belt land
- 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 Wickford
- Option agreements in Essex
Get a straight answer about your land
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.