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What to know in Greater London
Access is often the reason an option is needed. A garden in Greater London might have plenty of space but no workable way in, unless a neighbour sells a strip or grants a right of way. Negotiating that can take months, and a ransom strip owner can ask for payment. An option holds the plot while we try, and if access can’t be secured, the option ends and you keep your land. Width matters as well as ownership, since the route has to work for cars and bins, and the new home would also need fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough).
Planning authorities covering Greater London include City of London Corporation, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, London Borough of Barnet, London Borough of Bexley, London Borough of Brent, London Borough of Bromley, London Borough of Camden, London Borough of Croydon, London Borough of Ealing, London Borough of Enfield, London Borough of Hackney, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London Borough of Haringey, London Borough of Harrow, London Borough of Havering, London Borough of Hillingdon, London Borough of Hounslow, London Borough of Islington, London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Lewisham, London Borough of Merton, London Borough of Newham, London Borough of Redbridge, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London Borough of Southwark, London Borough of Sutton, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London Borough of Waltham Forest, London Borough of Wandsworth, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Westminster City Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We look at your title, the access, the planning history and the policies that apply, then tell you honestly whether an option, an outright sale or a conditional contract fits your plot best. It costs you nothing.
Heads of terms
We set out the option period, the price formula and minimum price, any option fee, our planning obligations and the cap on your reasonable legal fees, which we cover. Nothing is binding at this stage.
Sign the option
Your solicitor and ours agree the option agreement and the plan of the plot. Once it is signed, the option is noted on your title, and you carry on living in your house and using the garden as normal.
Planning work
We commission surveys, design the scheme and apply for planning, keeping you updated and showing you the drawings before submission. The council decides; if it refuses, the agreement sets out whether we revise, reapply or appeal.
Exercise or lapse
If an acceptable permission is granted, we serve notice, the price is fixed by the formula and the sale completes in the agreed time. If not, the option lapses, the entry comes off your title and the land stays yours.
Option agreement in towns across Greater London
- Croydon
- Barnet
- Ealing
- Newham
- Brent
- Bromley
- Enfield
- Wandsworth
- Lambeth
- Redbridge
- Tower Hamlets
- Southwark
- Hillingdon
- Lewisham
- Greenwich
- Hounslow
- Waltham Forest
- Haringey
- Havering
- Harrow
- Hackney
- Bexley
- Barking and Dagenham
- Islington
- Merton
- Camden
- Sutton
- Westminster
- Richmond upon Thames
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Kingston upon Thames
- Kensington and Chelsea
Questions about option agreement in Greater London
Which councils decide planning on option plots in Greater London?
It depends on where the plot sits. Applications in Greater London go to the council for the address, among them City of London Corporation, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, London Borough of Barnet, London Borough of Bexley, London Borough of Brent and other councils, and each works to its own Local Plan and the NPPF. During the option period, we submit the application to whichever authority covers your garden and deal with its questions.
What is the difference between an option and a conditional contract in Greater London?
Under a conditional contract, both sides are bound from exchange and the sale completes if a satisfactory permission is granted. Under an option, you are bound to sell if we choose to buy, but we aren’t obliged to. Options suit less certain plots; conditional contracts suit clearer ones.
Are my legal fees covered on an option in Greater London?
Yes. We cover reasonable legal fees for your solicitor on an option agreement, up to a cap agreed in heads of terms. That lets you take proper independent advice on the agreement, which you should always do before granting an option over any part of your land.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Greater London?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.
Other options in Greater London
- Plot feasibility and design in Greater London
- Joint venture on your garden plot in Greater London
- Tandem and landlocked plots in Greater London
- Planning promotion for your garden plot in Greater London
- Combine gardens with your neighbours in Greater London
- Build a home for family in your garden in Greater London