Option agreements for land in Rickmansworth
We offer an option agreement on land across Hertfordshire, including sites around Rickmansworth, Watford and Chalfont St Peter.
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 pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Rickmansworth?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Rickmansworth sits
Our appraisals for Rickmansworth start with the WD3 postcode district and the OS grid square TQ09, then widen out to Watford, Chalfont St Peter and North Watford, all within about 5 miles.
| Town | Rickmansworth |
|---|---|
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | WD3 |
| OS grid square | TQ09 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Watford (4 mi), Chalfont St Peter (4 mi), North Watford (5 mi) |
| Distance from Watford | About 4 miles 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 |

When an option agreement suits land near Rickmansworth
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- 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
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.
How the money works
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.
Your obligations
Agreements set what you can and can't do with the land in the meantime.
Land near Rickmansworth that an option agreement suits
Land without planning permission in Rickmansworth
We pay for the right to buy later and fund the planning work meanwhile.
Land for affordable homes in Rickmansworth
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Building plots in Rickmansworth
Rarely needed for single plots.
Redundant commercial and industrial land in Rickmansworth
Useful where vacant possession is some way off.
From first call to completion
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.
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're worried about the deductions
Ask for a clear list and a cap on what can be deducted. We'll explain each one.
You want to be sure we'll actually pursue planning
Agreements can include obligations to use reasonable endeavours and set milestones.
Useful to send us
- The address or postcode
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
What people ask us about an option agreement
Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?
Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.
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.
Do you buy land in Rickmansworth?
Yes. We consider land in and around Rickmansworth and across Hertfordshire. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Also near Rickmansworth
More land we buy in Rickmansworth
- 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 Rickmansworth
- Option agreements in Hertfordshire
Ready to talk about your land in Rickmansworth?
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.