- Planning authority
- Bristol City Council
- Postcodes
- BS7
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Bristol
Before you decide in Horfield
Every garden sale in Horfield 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 Bristol City 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.
How we’d take it forward in Horfield
Next steps in Horfield are simple. Send us your address and a rough idea of the part of the garden you’d consider selling. We check the title and the planning position from our desk, call you to talk it through, and arrange a visit if the plot looks viable. If it is, a written offer follows, subject to survey, title and contract.
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.
After the sale
Any boundary fence or access works agreed in the transfer are carried out as set out. If the plot still needs planning, we apply as the new owner, and you can see and comment on the plans like any other neighbour.
Worth checking early
- Lender consent, old covenants or access disputes can slow a sale, and occasionally stop it.
- A new home will be built close to yours, with building work and deliveries for a period.
- Selling the plot after you have sold or moved out of the house can change the tax position; take advice from a tax adviser.
Your questions, answered for Horfield
Can I sell part of my garden in Horfield without planning permission?
Yes. We buy suitable plots with or without planning, subject to survey, title and contract. Without permission, we take on the risk that Bristol City Council refuses an application, and our offer allows for that. If you’d rather sell only once permission is granted, a sale subject to planning is the alternative.
Do you buy garden plots in Henleaze, Southmead and Clifton as well as Horfield?
Yes. We cover England and Wales, including the places around Horfield. 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.
What if my Horfield garden has a protected tree?
A tree covered by a Tree Preservation Order, or standing in a conservation area, needs consent or notice before work. That doesn’t automatically stop a sale. Often the new home is placed to avoid the roots and canopy, and Bristol City Council’s tree officer may comment on any application. We check for protected trees during the appraisal.
How long does selling a garden plot in Horfield 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.
Other options in Horfield
- Plot feasibility and design
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Large rear gardens
- Build a new home in your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Joint venture on your garden plot

