- Planning authority
- London Borough of Hounslow
- Postcodes
- TW3, TW4, TW5, TW7, TW13
- 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 Hounslow
When we look at a garden in TW3, TW4, TW5 and TW7 for a possible option, we measure the things that create uncertainty: the width and ownership of the access, the distance to neighbouring windows, the trees and their roots, and the levels across the plot. Those findings decide how long the option period needs to be and what the agreement asks of us.
If access depends on a neighbour, the option holds your plot while we negotiate. If the London Borough of Hounslow is likely to want a revised scheme, the period allows for it.
How we’d take it forward in Hounslow
After your enquiry, we carry out the free appraisal and compare an option with an outright sale and a conditional contract for your plot. If you choose the option, your solicitor reviews the agreement before signing, and once it is in place we start the planning work, share the drawings before submission and keep you updated.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- Deductions agreed at the start, such as planning costs, reduce what you receive, so check them closely.
- Options have their own Capital Gains Tax treatment, so take advice from a tax adviser before signing.
- We have the right to buy, not a duty, so a sale isn’t certain even after a long wait.
Hounslow: questions to ask
Who decides planning on an option plot in Hounslow?
The decision belongs to the London Borough of Hounslow, which will weigh the scheme against the council’s Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Our job during the option period is to put in the strongest application the plot allows and answer the council’s questions. The agreement sets out what happens if permission is refused.
Do I still own my garden in Hounslow during an option?
Yes. An option is a right to buy, not a sale, so the land stays yours until we exercise the option and the sale completes. You carry on using the garden, and the option is noted on your title so the plot can’t be sold elsewhere while it runs.
Is an option better than selling my Hounslow garden plot outright?
Not always. An outright sale is quicker and certain once contracts are exchanged. An option suits plots where planning is uncertain or more land is needed, because it gives us time without forcing a guess at the price. Our free appraisal compares the routes for your plot.
What happens to my Hounslow plot if the option ends?
It stays yours, and the entry on your title is removed. You’re free to keep, sell or develop the land. If a permission was granted before the option ended, it generally stays with the land, though it will need to be started within its time limit.
Other options in Hounslow
- Garage courts and yards
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Sell part of your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Bungalows on large plots