Since starting my role as Land Manager I have been asked on numerous occasions what it is that my role entails. Most people’s perception of a Land Manager is to find land and sell it. Now although there is an element of truth behind this, the challenge of finding suitable land and packaging it up nicely is never as easy as it sounds. (I wish it was!)
The first thought that normally comes to mind when I mention land is a large green field! As much a field outside the greenbelt would be a house builders dream, more often than not this type of land is very hard to come by.
So what do I look for?
- Garden Plots- That well known phrase that estate agents love to use, ‘Has your garden got development potential?’, There are no hard rules in terms of how big a plot size needs to be to build a house on; Of course there are things to consider like restrictive covenants, access and over looking neighbouring properties etc, but in terms of size…..I’ve seen single dwellings that you’d think would only house a small child!
- Brownfield Land – this is land that has previously had planning use, previously used for industrial/commercial use, garages or even an old petrol station. The benefit with this type of land is that councils are often supportive of redevelopment.
- Site assembly– Looking for a combination of gardens/properties to assemble a new site. This can be very time consuming and the difficulty here is not just having the buy in of one home owner but a number of owners in agreement to make up a new site.
- Strategic Land Sites- These are often large sites that sit within the greenbelt, these are more complex and require lengthy planning process, sometimes these can take several years to acquire planning consent.
What is the benefit of talking through your options?
Since Sewell & Gardner established back in 2002 we have been involved in over 500 Land & New Homes acquisitions and disposals with a combined GDV of over £270 million.
We have the expertise and experience of working with a range of trusted local and national house builders; we know what type of sites will be most suited for each individual and therefore enables us to secure serious buyers for sites of all sizes.
The most important thing for us is to help land owners make sense of all options available to them and get the very best return if they are considering to sell. Whether you are thinking of building yourself, as a joint venture or straight sale or you just want some friendly advice, I would love to hear from you.
Sammy Walton
Land Manager