Option agreements for land in Herne Bay
Before you agree an option agreement on land near Herne Bay, it helps to know exactly when you'd be paid, who carries the planning risk and how the price is set.
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
- Independent advice encouraged
- We fund the planning work
Selling land near Herne Bay?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Land around Herne Bay
Our appraisals for Herne Bay start with the CT6 postcode district and the OS grid square TR16, then widen out to Whitstable, Canterbury and Faversham, all within about 11 miles.
| Town | Herne Bay |
|---|---|
| County | Kent |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CT6 |
| OS grid square | TR16 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Whitstable (5 mi), Canterbury (7 mi), Faversham (11 mi) |
| Distance from Maidstone | About 27 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 |
When an option agreement suits land near Herne Bay
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
- Owners who want to keep farming until development
- Sites with technical issues that need time to resolve
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.
What to check in an option agreement
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.
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 Herne Bay that an option agreement suits
Green belt and grey belt land in Herne Bay
Common for green belt land promoted through a local plan review.
Garden land and backland in Herne Bay
Useful when several neighbours' gardens are being assembled.
Inherited and probate land in Herne Bay
Can suit families who want to hold on while planning is explored.
Landlocked land and access problems in Herne Bay
Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.
How a sale works
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.
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.
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'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
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- Photos of the land and its access
Questions from landowners near Herne Bay
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.
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.
Can you visit land near Herne Bay?
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.
More land we buy in Herne Bay
- 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 Herne Bay
- Option agreements in Kent
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Herne Bay
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.