- Planning authority
- Central Bedfordshire Council
- Postcodes
- LU6
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.4 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Bedfordshire
What the council will look at in Dunstable
Every garden sale in Dunstable ends up as a transfer of part, so the title is where our checks begin. We look for covenants that restrict building, rights of way crossing the plot, and whether the boundary on the ground matches the plan. A mortgage lender will need to release the plot, and a sewer under the lawn may need a build-over agreement.
On the planning side, the searches show what Central Bedfordshire Council has approved or refused at the address, and the council’s Local Plan shows how it views new homes in gardens. Together, these tell us whether to make an offer before anyone takes a tape measure out.
From first call to decision
Once you get in touch, we look up your title at HM Land Registry and check what the council’s Local Plan says about homes in gardens. Then we talk, with no obligation on your side. If the plot works, we visit, agree the boundary with you on a plan and put our offer in writing. Your solicitor and ours take it from there, and the pace suits you.
Free plot appraisal
Tell us about your garden. We check the title plan, access, local policy and planning history from our desk, then talk it through with you. If it looks viable, we arrange a site visit, with no cost and no obligation.
Written offer and heads of terms
We put our offer in writing, subject to survey, title and contract. Heads of terms then record the plot boundary, the price, access rights, who pays which costs and the rough timetable for each stage.
Solicitors and lender
Your solicitor prepares the transfer of part and asks your mortgage lender to release the plot. Ours checks the title, covenants, rights of way and searches, while surveys of trees, ground and drainage run alongside.
Exchange and completion
Once both sides are satisfied, contracts are exchanged and a completion date is fixed. On completion the money passes through the solicitors and HM Land Registry registers the plot under a new title of its own.
Worth checking early
- Lender consent, old covenants or access disputes can slow a sale, and occasionally stop it.
- Your house keeps a smaller garden, which some future buyers will welcome and others won’t.
- A new home will be built close to yours, with building work and deliveries for a period.
Your questions, answered for Dunstable
Can I sell the plot and keep living in my Dunstable house?
Yes, that’s the whole point of a plot sale. You keep the house and the rest of the garden, and the boundary is drawn where you agree. The transfer can include rights and covenants that protect your home, such as who builds the new fence and limits on windows facing your property.
How long does selling a garden plot in Dunstable take?
The legal work usually runs for a few months, much like an ordinary house sale. What drives it is the lender’s consent to release the plot, any covenant or access issue on the title, and how quickly both solicitors work. Selling without planning means there’s no council stage to wait for before completion.
Who decides whether a new home can be built in a Dunstable garden?
Central Bedfordshire Council decides, as the local planning authority, using the council’s Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Neighbours and consultees can comment, and the council weighs their points against planning policy. Nobody, including us, can promise the outcome, which is why an outright sale without planning is priced for that uncertainty.
Do you buy garden plots in Houghton Regis, Luton and Leighton Buzzard as well as Dunstable?
Yes. We cover England and Wales, including the places around Dunstable. The process is the same wherever your garden is, although planning policies depend on the council for your address, so our desk check always starts by finding out which one that is.
Other options in Dunstable
- Plot feasibility and design
- Sell subject to planning
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Corner and side plots
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Build a new home in your garden