Option to buy land behind house

I have just received a letter from an estate agent acting on behalf of one of our neighbours. They own 2 cottages that they are currently renting out, and it has a large lump of land with it.

I have been told they tried to get permission to build on this bit of land, but it got turned down due to lack of access.

Well they are now selling the cottages and have asked all the houses surrounding the plot of land if anyone is interested in part or all of it.

Thing is... I have no idea how much they might want for it.

So am wondering what land is worth?

We are in Cambridgeshire, and its a conservation area. Would it be worth contacting a seperate agent and asking what the land might add to the value of the property? There is NO access down the side of the house as it is a footpath, so i would have to knock through the side of the games room to get to it (not the end of the world)

Size of area i want is around 10m x 25m.

Photo shows the plot of land.

Black: Our property
Red: The whole plot of land
Blue: The bit we would like. (10m x 25m)

The problem is that land is worth what someone will pay for it and thats dependant on how much they want it. Unlike a house there is no easy way to assess what it is. For you its ideal cause it next to your property so they might price it high, if someone else bought it then what could they do with it - not a lot I would imagine given the access issues.

Agricultural land is normally about £10k an acre but that doesnt really help with this.

I would contact the offering agent and express an interest, let them tell you how much they want for the land since they are the seller. Initially I would express an interest in the whole plot just to keep them interested, if they know you only want a section of it then they have the problem of shifting the other section so it means twice the work. Bear in mind half the land wont necessarily be half the price.

I would also contact 1 (or ideally 2) agents and see what they reckon the house would be worth with and without the land. Other option is to talk to a surveyor who has some knowledge of the area (possibly the guy that did the survey on your house), they should be able to give you a fair indication.

TBH I would look to buy the whole plot if I would afford it, you'll work out something to do with it and even as a garden it adds value if its bigger.

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What he said^. Also your council may have a tame surveyor, mine does. When I was buying the school my house was attached too he valued it at less than the private surveyor.

Hadnt thought about the surveyor, I will contact him as he was spot on with the survey he did on the house.

Will contact the agents and see what price they have put on it. From the plan there is about 5 properties surrounding the piece of land, I only got the letter today, so will call them once xmas is out of the way. Will also do the estate agent thing to see what the price up the property with the land for too.

Weird thing is I was only thinking about that bit of land a few weeks ago!

Feels strange living in a bloody caravan, with a shell of a house, yet I am looking at buying more land!!

Thats the only real downside to the place we have - the lack of land. But we grow our own veg, keep chickens and I would like a larger workshop and greenhouse/polytunnel. You could triple the size of our garden and I am sure we could find a use for it.

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Lack of garden was the one thing that was on our minds when we bought the place. And we knew the land belonged to the cottages, and those cottages were rented out and the owner lives in france.

I'm just glad i never contacted them and shows an interest.

DAMN xmas and having to wait to see how much they want for it.

The games room only spans about 2/3rds of the back garden, the other 3rd is a small workshop type space. it would mean either knocking that end down, or going though underneath.



Hmmm so much to think about now!!!!

My folks did something similar; there is a wedge shaped piece of land behind their place and a railway line owned by the parish and good for nothing other than a bit of grazing, certainly not building. It was offered to them at a fair rate above the agri value but really you're paying then so that others don't get their hands on it.

They bought it and used it as a footy pitch for the grandkids.

If you collude with your neighbours everyone who wants in could get something at a fair price, otherwise you may end up bidding against each other.

Sorry to do this then but there are 3 other options that you may want to consider if I am looking at the picture right - I'm guessing that the right of the picture is the boundary of the property that leads onto the edge of the land.

1) Keep the bit you are thinking of knocking down and get rid of the other bit. This retains a shed/games room on the boundary of the property and gives you a more open and through access to the garden.
2) Get rid of the lot and rebuild an single building along the boundary to act as a shed/games room. Again this opens up the access and gives you a custom shed/games room to maximise the space.
3) Get rid of the lot and rebuild somewhere else on the land. Again this gives you a custom shed/games room that makes the most of the space, if you do this you can take into account the direction of the property to have a deck outside the games room, perhaps build and outside kitchen, the area can be used for BBQs and parties, extends the use of the games room if you see what I mean.

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If only this had happened 4 weeks ago, before we re-roofed and started the bloody games room.

But yeah i like your thoughts.

I might just knock the lot down, and build something at the bottom of the garden (if we get it)

You may as well at least get the games room viable as these sorts of deals can take forever and go pear-shaped.

Yeah was just thinking that.

Plus the games room will give us an extra room to use while we do the house.

Although i might steal all the budget and buy the land, not sure the GF would be too impressed!! lol

What def said, there is nothing that says you have to demolish straight away. Regardless I would finish the room, do the house and then think about the garden.

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Games rooms going to have to go really isn't it?

Ask how much they want for it but I would try for the land given the choice.

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KX Riders.com

Buy the whole plot and the 2 cottages

Job Jobbed

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Im on THE list (Where IS Mike Wilde?) edit, he is back

Yup it is.. at least we only roofed it and lined the inside. Just means i wont go mad on the inside stuff.

Will definately go for the land, as i think it will add a bit to the value of the place. Plus if we stay together i could always build a workshop big enough to work from home on it..

*now theres food for thought!!!