Backland Development
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Sell part of your garden in South Ockendon

Some gardens in South Ockendon are long enough to hold a second home behind the first, and some side gardens are wide enough to hold one beside it. Either can be sold on its own while you stay put. The sale doesn’t need planning permission in place, and you don’t need to clear, fence or build anything first.

What it does need is a clear route in. A shared or new drive has to work for cars, deliveries and bin collections, and the new home will need fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). If the only way in crosses land you don’t own, a ransom strip can change the deal entirely, so we check who owns the access before anything else.

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Long back garden with a string line and marker pegs across the lawn showing where a plot could be split off
Planning authority
Thurrock Council
Postcodes
RM15
Noon sun, 21 March
About 38°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Essex

What the council will look at in South Ockendon

When a desk check looks promising, we visit. On gardens in RM15 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 Thurrock 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 South Ockendon: about 38 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 38°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.6 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in South Ockendon on 21 March sits about 38° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. In December the sun is only about 15° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

The next steps, locally

Here is what happens if you contact us about a garden in South Ockendon. We ask a few questions about the house, the garden and any mortgage. We run the desk checks and call back with a view, good or bad. If it’s good, we visit and make a written offer to buy the plot outright. If you accept, heads of terms set out the price, the boundary and who pays what before solicitors start.

  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. 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

  • A new home will be built close to yours, with building work and deliveries for a period.
  • Your house keeps a smaller garden, which some future buyers will welcome and others won’t.
  • A sale without planning is priced for the planning risk we take on, so it usually pays less than the same plot with permission.

Questions about garden plots in South Ockendon

Can I sell part of my garden in South Ockendon 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 Thurrock 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.

Will I need my own solicitor for a garden plot sale in South Ockendon?

Yes. You need a solicitor or licensed conveyancer acting for you on the transfer of part, separate from ours. Choose one who handles property sales and, ideally, development land. Who pays their fees is agreed in heads of terms before you instruct them.

Do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) when I sell a garden plot in South Ockendon?

No. Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) falls on the buyer of land, so on a sale to us any amount due is ours to pay. What may affect you as the seller is Capital Gains Tax, depending on your circumstances and whether you still live in the house. Take advice from a tax adviser before you agree a deal.

What if my South Ockendon 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 Thurrock Council’s tree officer may comment on any application. We check for protected trees during the appraisal.

Other options in South Ockendon

Sell your garden plot near South Ockendon

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