- Planning authority
- Sunderland City Council
- Postcodes
- SR1, SR2, SR3, SR4, SR5
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 35°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 7.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Tyne and Wear
What shapes a plot in Sunderland
Neighbours in SR1, SR2, SR3 and SR4 will hear about any application on your plot, and the option agreement can set out how and when that happens. Some owners prefer to talk to adjoining neighbours themselves before plans are public; others are happy for the council’s own notice to do the job.
Either way, we design with neighbours in mind, because privacy, light and the effect of a new access are among the first things Sunderland City Council considers. A scheme that answers those concerns in advance usually has a smoother time.
How we’d take it forward in Sunderland
Here is what happens in Sunderland. A conversation first, then a desk check, then a visit if the plot looks promising. We put proposed terms in writing, without obligation, and you take advice on them with your legal fees covered within the agreed cap. Nothing is binding until you sign the option agreement itself, and the appraisal costs nothing.
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.
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.
- With a market value formula, the final price isn’t known until the option is exercised.
Your questions, answered for Sunderland
Is an option better than selling my Sunderland 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.
Who decides planning on an option plot in Sunderland?
The decision belongs to Sunderland 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.
Do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) if you exercise an option over my Sunderland plot?
No. Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is paid by the buyer of land, so any amount due on completion falls to us. As the seller, you may have Capital Gains Tax to consider, and options have their own rules on timing, so take advice from a tax adviser before signing.
Do I still own my garden in Sunderland 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 Sunderland
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Build a new home in your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Bungalows on large plots
- Corner and side plots
- Large rear gardens