Option agreements for land in Potters Bar
Choosing how to sell matters as much as choosing who to sell to. For land near Potters Bar, an option agreement trades certainty and timing in a particular way.
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
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- We fund the planning work
Selling land near Potters Bar?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Potters Bar at a glance
From Potters Bar, it's 2 miles to Hadley Wood and 3 miles to Barnet. We buy land across that whole stretch of Hertfordshire, not only within the town.
Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, which makes land with genuine development prospects scarce and keenly contested.
| Town | Potters Bar |
|---|---|
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | EN6 |
| OS grid square | TL20 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Hadley Wood (2 mi), Barnet (3 mi), Enfield Town (5 mi) |
| Distance from Watford | About 10 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 |
Who an option agreement works best for
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Holdings where several owners need to work together
- 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.
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.
Land near Potters Bar that an option agreement suits
Large strategic sites in Potters Bar
The usual route: an option fee now and a price based on market value later.
Land for affordable homes in Potters Bar
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Paddocks and equestrian land in Potters Bar
Useful where the paddock could form part of a wider site.
Building plots in Potters Bar
Rarely needed for single plots.
How a sale works
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.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
The legal work
Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.
What England's rules mean for your land
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
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
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 Potters Bar?
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.
Also near Potters Bar
More land we buy in Potters Bar
- 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 Potters Bar
- Option agreements in Hertfordshire
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Potters Bar
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.