Option agreements for land in Kettering
Choosing how to sell matters as much as choosing who to sell to. For land near Kettering, an option agreement trades certainty and timing in a particular way.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
Tell us about your land
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Land around Kettering
Kettering (NN16) sits in OS grid square SP87, some 12 miles north-east of Northampton. Sites between here and Desborough or Corby are just as much of interest to us.
Rolling farmland and expanding towns such as Northampton, Corby and Kettering, with no designated green belt.
| Town | Kettering |
|---|---|
| County | Northamptonshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | NN16 |
| OS grid square | SP87 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Desborough (5 mi), Wellingborough (7 mi), Corby (7 mi) |
| Distance from Northampton | About 12 miles north-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
- 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
- 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.
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 Kettering that an option agreement suits
Land for affordable homes in Kettering
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Garden land and backland in Kettering
Useful when several neighbours' gardens are being assembled.
Infill plots and gap sites in Kettering
Seldom needed for single infill plots.
Landlocked land and access problems in Kettering
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.
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.
Planning and legal points for land in Northamptonshire
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 rough size, in acres or hectares
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Common questions
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 buy land in Kettering?
Yes. We consider land in and around Kettering and across Northamptonshire. 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 Kettering
More land we buy in Kettering
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- 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 Kettering
- Option agreements in Northamptonshire
Ready to talk about your land in Kettering?
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.