Backland Development
0800 088 6248Free to call Free plot appraisal

Sell part of your garden in Bishop Auckland

Turning part of a Bishop Auckland garden into money doesn’t have to mean selling up. A plot sale transfers only the land you choose, leaves your house on its existing title with a new boundary, and gives the plot a title of its own at HM Land Registry. If the house is mortgaged, your lender signs off the release.

From there, any planning application is ours to make, and the risk of refusal is ours to carry. You’d see the plans like any neighbour and could comment on them. If you’d prefer to sell only once permission is granted, our sale subject to planning works that way instead.

Get a free appraisalCheck my garden
Long back garden with a string line and marker pegs across the lawn showing where a plot could be split off
Planning authority
Durham County Council
Postcodes
DL14
Noon sun, 21 March
About 35°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 7.1 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
County Durham

The local picture in Bishop Auckland

When a desk check looks promising, we visit. On gardens in DL14 we walk the boundary, measure the distance from your back wall to where a new home could sit, note the trees and their spread, check the levels and look at which neighbouring windows face the plot. We also stand at the end of the drive to see how far a driver could see in each direction.

Those measurements, set against what Durham County Council expects, turn a rough idea into a plot with a shape and a price. The visit is part of the free appraisal, and you’re welcome to walk round with us.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Bishop Auckland: about 35 degrees on 21 March and 12 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 35°, shadow 7.1 m21 Dec, noon: sun 12°, shadow 23.7 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Bishop Auckland: around 35° of sun at midday in late March and about 12° at midwinter. It shows why the gap between your house and a new home behind it is about light as well as privacy. Garden assumed to face north.

What happens next in Bishop Auckland

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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

  • 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 house keeps a smaller garden, which some future buyers will welcome and others won’t.

Questions about garden plots in Bishop Auckland

Who decides whether a new home can be built in a Bishop Auckland garden?

Durham County 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.

What if my Bishop Auckland 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 Durham County Council’s tree officer may comment on any application. We check for protected trees during the appraisal.

Can I sell part of my garden in Bishop Auckland 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 Durham County 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.

How long does selling a garden plot in Bishop Auckland 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 Bishop Auckland

Sell your garden plot near Bishop Auckland

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.

Get my free appraisal 0800 088 6248