- Planning authority
- London Borough of Merton
- Postcodes
- CR4, SM4, SW19, SW20
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater London
What the council will look at in Merton
On many garden plots, access matters more than size. If a new home behind yours would be reached along a strip beside the house, the London Borough of Merton will look at how wide it is, how far drivers can see where it meets the road, and how much noise and headlight glare from passing cars would reach you and the neighbours.
Building regulations add their own test, because 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). Whether your garden is in CR4, SM4, SW19 and SW20 or just beyond, we measure the access early, since it shapes the offer more than almost anything else.
The next steps, locally
From first call to written offer usually takes a few weeks, depending mainly on how quickly the title checks and site visit can be arranged. After that, the legal work for a plot sale in Merton often runs for a few months, driven by the lender’s consent and any covenant or access questions. The appraisal costs you nothing, and you can stop at any point before exchange.
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.
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.
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.
- Your house keeps a smaller garden, which some future buyers will welcome and others won’t.
- Selling the plot after you have sold or moved out of the house can change the tax position; take advice from a tax adviser.
Questions about garden plots in Merton
Do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) when I sell a garden plot in Merton?
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 Merton 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 the London Borough of Merton’s tree officer may comment on any application. We check for protected trees during the appraisal.
Can I sell part of my garden in Merton 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 the London Borough of Merton 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.
Can I sell the plot and keep living in my Merton 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.
Other options in Merton
- Sell subject to planning
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Large rear gardens
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Bungalows on large plots