Backland Development
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Sell part of your garden in Rochester

If you own a house in Rochester with more garden than you need, selling the far end of it as a building plot lets you release that land without moving. We buy suitable plots outright, with or without planning permission, always subject to survey, title and contract. You keep the house, the part of the garden you use, and the final say on where the line falls.

Medway Council would decide any application for a new home on the plot, judging it against the council’s Local Plan and the NPPF. Our free appraisal looks at those policies alongside your title plan and the way in from the road, so you hear early whether a sale looks realistic.

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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
Medway Council
Postcodes
ME1
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Kent

Before you decide in Rochester

On many garden plots, access matters more than size. If a new home behind yours would be reached along a strip beside the house, Medway Council 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 ME1 or just beyond, we measure the access early, since it shapes the offer more than almost anything else.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Rochester: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.4 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Rochester on 21 March sits about 39° 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.

What happens next in Rochester

Here is what happens if you contact us about a garden in Rochester. 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. 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.

  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

  • Selling the plot after you have sold or moved out of the house can change the tax position; take advice from a tax adviser.
  • 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.

Rochester: questions to ask

Can I sell the plot and keep living in my Rochester 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.

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

Do you buy garden plots in Chatham, Strood and Gillingham as well as Rochester?

Yes. We cover England and Wales, including the places around Rochester. 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.

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

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.

Other options in Rochester

Sell your garden plot near Rochester

Find out what your garden could become

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

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