Building on a corner plot or side garden in Bromley

Some homeowners only realise their side garden might be a building plot when a neighbour builds on theirs. Whether yours in Bromley could follow depends on its width, how houses are spaced along the road and whether a new drive would be safe, not just on how much spare land you have.

We look at all of that for free. If the plot works, you might sell it outright, sell it subject to planning or grant an option. Or you might keep it and have a home built, perhaps for a relative who wants to live next door rather than with you.

New detached brick house on a corner plot beside an older semi-detached house
Planning authority
London Borough of Bromley
Postcodes
BR1, BR2, BR4, BR5, BR6
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Greater London

How it plays out in Bromley

Streets vary a great deal, in BR1, BR2, BR4 and BR5 as elsewhere. Some have semi-detached pairs where a home attached to the end of a pair would look natural; others have detached houses with generous gaps that the council will want kept. The right answer for your plot depends on what your street looks like.

If you live near Bromley, in places such as Croydon, Lewisham and Greenwich, the same thinking applies. We photograph and measure the street, then test which options respect it before you commit to anything.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Bromley: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.4 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Bromley on 21 March sits about 39° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. In December the sun is only about 15° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

The next steps, locally

You stay in control after the appraisal. Selling means heads of terms in writing, read by your solicitor, before anything is signed. Building means survey and design ahead of a written quote. Whichever you choose, the London Borough of Bromley receives the application and asks your neighbours for comments, and a decision on a single home often takes a few months, longer if the design needs amending.

  1. Free plot appraisal

    We look at your plot on maps, the title plan and street views, check planning history nearby and talk it through with you. If a home beside yours looks possible we visit. No cost, no obligation.

  2. Read the street

    We measure the plot and record the building line, the gaps between houses, roof heights, materials and boundary walls, then check where a new drive could go and what drivers would be able to see from it.

  3. Choose your route

    Sell the plot outright, sell it subject to planning, or grant an option while you keep your house. Or keep the land and have us design, get planning for and build a new home on it.

  4. Design and planning

    We draw a home that sits in the street rather than fighting it, usually take pre-application advice, and submit the application. The council consults neighbours and decides; small schemes often take a few months.

Worth checking early

  • The council decides, and neighbours are consulted; a sensible design can still be refused or need changes.
  • A new drive close to a junction may not be acceptable to the highway authority, which can force a different layout.
  • Corners kept open by design can be harder to build on than they look; character can matter more than space.

Bromley: questions to ask

Could I sell just my side garden in Bromley and stay put?

Yes. Legally it’s a transfer of part: HM Land Registry gives the side plot a title of its own, while your house keeps the rest. A mortgage lender has to consent to releasing the plot from its charge. Where the plot suits, we buy with or without planning, subject to survey, title and contract.

Can I attach a new home to my house in Bromley?

Yes, where it suits the street, for example on the end of a semi-detached pair. It needs planning permission as a separate home, fire and sound separation under Building Regulations, and possibly a party wall agreement. We check whether attached or detached fits your road better.

Can I build a house on my corner plot in Bromley?

Possibly, if a new home would respect the building lines, keep the corner feeling open enough and allow safe visibility for drivers. It needs planning permission, and the London Borough of Bromley decides. Our free appraisal tells you whether your corner is worth taking further.

Can you build a home beside my house in Bromley for my family?

Yes. A home next door can give a parent or grown-up child their own front door while keeping them close. You keep the land; we draw the house, apply for permission, build it and arrange the structural warranty or other cover lenders accept. The written quote comes after design and survey.

Other options in Bromley

Corner and side plots near Bromley

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.