Option agreements for land in Winchester
We offer an option agreement on land across Hampshire, including sites around Winchester, Eastleigh and Southampton.
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
- No commission: we're the buyer
- We fund the planning work
Selling land near Winchester?
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Land around Winchester
Winchester (SO23) sits in OS grid square SU42, about 12 miles north of Southampton. Sites between here and Eastleigh or Totton are just as much of interest to us.
Home to the New Forest and part of the South Downs National Park, with growth around Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke and the market towns.
| Town | Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | SO23 |
| OS grid square | SU42 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Eastleigh (7 mi), Southampton (12 mi), Totton (13 mi) |
| Distance from Southampton | About 12 miles north |
| 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?
- 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
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
How the money works
Option fee
A payment on signing, which you usually keep even if the option isn't exercised.
Purchase price
Often a percentage of market value with permission, less agreed costs.
Term
How long we have to secure permission and exercise the option.
Exercise triggers
What has to happen before we can buy.
Land near Winchester that an option agreement suits
Land with planning permission in Winchester
Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.
Green belt and grey belt land in Winchester
Common for green belt land promoted through a local plan review.
Small sites in Winchester
Useful if land needs assembling from more than one owner.
Brownfield land in Winchester
Can suit larger brownfield sites with a longer planning route.
What happens next
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
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.
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
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- 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 long do options last?
It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.
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.
Can you visit land near Winchester?
Yes. Once we've looked at the title and planning position, we arrange a site visit if the land looks suitable. Send the address or postcode to start.
Other land in Winchester
- 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 Winchester
- Option agreements in Hampshire
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.