Backland Development
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Sell part of your garden in Cardiff

Selling land at the back of your house in Cardiff is a legal transaction more than a building one. Nothing gets dug or demolished before you sell. A new boundary is drawn on a plan, your solicitor prepares a transfer of part, any mortgage lender agrees to release the plot, and HM Land Registry gives it a title of its own.

What makes that plot worth buying is the prospect of a new home being allowed on it, and that turns on access, space and how a scheme would sit beside the houses around it. We look at all three for any garden in Cardiff before making a written offer.

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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
Cardiff Council
Postcodes
CF5, CF10, CF11, CF14, CF23
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
LDP
County
South Glamorgan

What the council will look at in Cardiff

Every garden sale in Cardiff 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 Cardiff Council has approved or refused at the address, and the council’s Local Development Plan (LDP) shows how it views new homes in gardens. Together, these tell us whether to make an offer before anyone takes a tape measure out.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Cardiff: 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 18.6 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Cardiff 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.

How we’d take it forward in Cardiff

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 Cardiff 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.

  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

  • Your house keeps a smaller garden, which some future buyers will welcome and others won’t.
  • A new home will be built close to yours, with building work and deliveries for a period.
  • 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 Cardiff

Do you buy garden plots in Penarth, Caerphilly and Barry as well as Cardiff?

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

Do I pay Land Transaction Tax (LTT) when I sell a garden plot in Cardiff?

No. Land Transaction Tax (LTT) 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 Cardiff 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 Cardiff Council’s tree officer may comment on any application. We check for protected trees during the appraisal.

Can I sell the plot and keep living in my Cardiff 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 Cardiff

Sell your garden plot near Cardiff

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