Potentially sell part of plot

LK78

Hello, I wonder if anyone can help me? I’m really unsure what I am doing here so please don’t berate me for stupid questions, I’m just trying to get an idea together before making any decisions. I outright own a small end terraced house (inherited) where my brother lives, my brother is disabled and is not likely to need or want to move house again. The house is a small end terrace with garden to 2 sides and a large driveway (3 cars deep) that also used to have a brick garage on it but this has been demolished. The other side of the driveway is a piece of land roughly the same size as the piece my brothers house is on. It is a fenced in piece that is fully overgrown with bushes and tees, I’ve left it this way to discourage fly tipping or similar. My brother does not want to use this land, it has been in its current state for many years. I am considering selling this piece of land to gain some money for a deposit on buying my own house elsewhere, I have discussed this with my brother already. But where do I start? There is vehicle access to the site although it is an unadopted road. Do I (can I?) sell it as garden land or do I try to get planning permission for a dwelling? If so, where do I begin? I already have a solicitor as/when needed. I just need some basic advice if at all possible, I know that’s not easy when you don’t have full details so please ask if you need to know anything to advise. The houses in the road are all over 100 years old and worth only around £100k but the houses in the surrounding area are mainly more modern.
Many thanks
Louisa

AdrianC

You can sell it as a building plot, without PP.
But if you apply for and get outline PP, the sale value may well rise, because the risk to the buyer is reduced.

OTOH, if a finished single detached property on the land would only be worth £100k, it's unlikely that construction would be cost-effective, unless it's big enough for multiple houses or for flats.

davidmcn

Probably best to find an agent who deals with such plots (may be one of the commercial surveyors rather than residential estate agents) and they may have a better idea of value and how best to go about it. The planning department's website may have guidance on what their criteria are for new residential plots.

What's the historical use - has it always just been part of the "garden" of the house?

LK78

OTOH, if a finished single detached property on the land would only be worth £100k, it's unlikely that construction would be cost-effective, unless it's big enough for multiple houses or for flats.

Only big enough for one smallish house with garden/parking 👍🏼

ProDave

Apply for outline planning permission. That does not cost much and you can do all the sketches needed for that.  then sell it as a plot.  but if the finished house is only likely to be worth £100K you would do well to get much more than £20K for the plot.

LK78

What's the historical use - has it always just been part of the "garden" of the house?

Always been garden, most of the houses (they were railway cottages) had gardens not attached to the houses until the railway line was decommissioned and that land became attached gardens. Many people have used the odd land bits for parking/garages/workshops and sheds etc, the plot adjacent to mine was sold to a resident who turned it into visitor parking for his family 

greatcrested

So not much precedent of these plots being developed into housing?

I'd start with an informal consultaion with a council planner. Most councils charge for this nowadays, maybe £100? Provide photos of the plot, as well as an ordnance survey of the area so the planner can see exactly what/where you are talking about, as well as a rough diagramme of what you might plan eg a 3 bed house with drive/garden, again so planner can see what you have in mind.

He'll then tell you either

* forget - unlikely to get planning consent, or

* should not be a problem, subject to full application, or

* expect you'll get consent but you'll also need to do xyz ( eg include parking to satisfy Highways Dept or move the access from there to here etc)