Backland Development
0800 088 6248Free to call Free plot appraisal

Building in a large rear garden in High Wycombe

Before paying for drawings of a new home in your High Wycombe garden, it helps to know whether the basics stack up. Can a car get in and turn? How far would the new home sit from your back windows and your neighbours’? Would your own house keep a decent garden and somewhere to park?

We answer those questions in a free garden plot appraisal, starting with maps, the title plan and nearby planning history, then a visit if the plot looks viable. You’ll come away knowing whether selling or building makes more sense for you, and what Buckinghamshire Council is likely to ask about.

Get a free appraisalCheck my garden
Overhead view of three long, narrow back gardens with lawns, a greenhouse, vegetable beds and sheds
Planning authority
Buckinghamshire Council
Postcodes
HP10, HP11, HP12, HP13, HP15
Noon sun, 21 March
About 38°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Buckinghamshire

How it plays out in High Wycombe

Overshadowing is often the deciding issue in a long garden. At midday on 21 March the sun in High Wycombe stands about 38° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. In midwinter the noon sun is only about 15° up and shadows stretch around three times as far.

That’s why the gap between a new home and neighbouring gardens matters, and why a lower roof, or a home set further from the boundary, can make a scheme acceptable. We check the shadows on your actual plot rather than relying on rules of thumb.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in High Wycombe: about 38 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 38°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.8 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of High Wycombe: around 38° of sun at midday in late March and about 15° at midwinter. It shows why the gap between your house and a new home behind it is about light as well as privacy. Garden assumed to face north.

What happens next in High Wycombe

An enquiry about a High Wycombe garden can start with a short call and a few photos of the garden and the side of the house. A desktop check follows, then a site visit if it’s worth one. If you choose to sell, we agree heads of terms and your solicitor takes it from there. If you choose to build, we move on to a measured survey and design, and a written quote follows.

  1. Free plot appraisal

    We look at your garden using maps, the title plan and the planning history around you, then talk it through with you. If it looks workable we arrange a site visit. There’s no cost and no obligation.

  2. Measure and test the layout

    We check depth, the width of the way in, levels, trees, drains and what lies behind, then sketch what could realistically fit: one home, two, or nothing worth pursuing, before anyone pays for an application.

  3. Choose your route

    You decide whether to sell the plot outright, sell subject to planning, grant an option, team up with neighbours, or keep the land and have us design, get planning for and build a home on it.

  4. Sale or build

    If you sell, your solicitor handles the transfer of part and your lender’s release of the plot. If you build, we give a written quote after design and survey, then build and hand over the new home.

Worth checking early

  • Cars passing beside your house to reach the new home bring noise and headlights; screening helps but doesn’t remove it.
  • Surveys and drawings cost money before any decision. On a subject-to-planning sale we normally fund them; on a build you do.
  • A shorter garden changes how your own house feels to live in and may affect what it is worth.

High Wycombe: questions to ask

How long does planning take for a garden home in High Wycombe?

It varies. Small schemes often take a few months from submission to decision, and longer if surveys, amendments or extra consultation are needed. Pre-application advice and early surveys add time at the start but can save time later. We won’t promise a date, because the council sets the pace.

Can you build a home for my family in my garden in High Wycombe?

Yes. If you keep the land, we can design the home, apply for planning permission, build it once permission is granted and arrange the structural warranty lenders usually expect. You receive a written quote after design and survey. If the home is for a relative who will share your kitchen and front door, an annexe may suit better.

Does it cost anything to have my High Wycombe garden looked at?

No. The garden plot appraisal is free and carries no obligation. It starts with a desktop check and a conversation, and we arrange a site visit if your garden looks viable. You only commit to anything once you’ve chosen a route and seen the terms in writing.

Who decides planning for a home in a High Wycombe back garden?

Buckinghamshire Council decides, using the council’s Local Plan, national policy and any local design guidance. It consults neighbours and other bodies before reaching a decision. We prepare the application and deal with the planning officer, but the outcome is always the council’s call.

Other options in High Wycombe

Large rear gardens near High Wycombe

Find out what your garden could become

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

Get my free appraisal 0800 088 6248