Option agreements for land in Farnham
For owners in Farnham and the GU9 area, an option agreement is worth understanding before you talk to any buyer, including us.
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.
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- Independent advice encouraged
- We fund the planning work
Selling land near Farnham?
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where Farnham sits
Our appraisals for Farnham start with the GU9 postcode district and the OS grid square SU84, then widen out to Aldershot, Fleet and Farnborough, all within about 6 miles.
Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, and the Surrey Hills National Landscape covers much of the rest.
| Town | Farnham |
|---|---|
| County | Surrey |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | GU9 |
| OS grid square | SU84 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Aldershot (3 mi), Fleet (5 mi), Farnborough (6 mi) |
| Distance from Woking | About 13 miles south-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 Farnham
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
- Owners who want to keep farming until development
- 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.
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 Farnham that an option agreement suits
Land for affordable homes in Farnham
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Farmland and agricultural land in Farnham
Common for edge-of-town farmland promoted through the local plan.
Building plots in Farnham
Rarely needed for single plots.
Small sites in Farnham
Useful if land needs assembling from more than one owner.
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.
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.
Common problems, and how we handle them
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
- Your title number, if you know it
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Questions from landowners near Farnham
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.
Can I sell to someone else during the option?
Not usually. The option binds the land, and it's normally registered against your title.
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.
How do I get an offer for land in Farnham?
Use the form on this page or call 0800 088 6248. Tell us the postcode, the rough size and anything you know about planning, and we'll come back to you.
Other land types and routes
- 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 Farnham
- Option agreements in Surrey
Ready to talk about your land in Farnham?
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.