- Planning authority
- Nottingham City Council
- Postcodes
- NG1, NG3, NG6, NG7, NG8
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.6 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Nottinghamshire
The local picture in Nottingham
Light can decide the size of the scheme an option leads to. Take the figures for Nottingham: a midday sun of about 37° in late March means a wall rising 5 m to the eaves shades roughly 6.6 m of ground behind it, and with the December sun near 14°, that shade grows considerably.
Those figures help explain why a plot that could take two homes in one layout might take only one in another. Under a price formula, that difference flows through to the price, which is one reason options suit plots where the outcome is open.
From first call to decision
The first stage, from enquiry to heads of terms, usually takes a few weeks. Agreeing and signing the option itself often takes a few months more, depending on how quickly both solicitors work and whether the title raises questions. The planning work then runs within the option period, at a pace set by surveys, pre-application advice and the decision time at Nottingham City Council.
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.
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
- With a market value formula, the final price isn’t known until the option is exercised.
- 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.
Nottingham: questions to ask
Who decides planning on an option plot in Nottingham?
The decision belongs to Nottingham City Council, 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.
Is an option better than selling my Nottingham 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 Nottingham 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.
Do I still own my garden in Nottingham 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.
Other options in Nottingham
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Bungalows on large plots
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Large rear gardens