Finding the land

Finding land is often one of the more difficult steps in the process of building your own house, but there are lots of resources available now to help you do it. You can check out adverts in local newspapers, contact estate agents, refer to specialist magazines or contact local councils for information on land releases and on planning permissions for plots.

But probably the easiest way is to use a site like plotfinder.net

It's a useful service for finding and buying land and properties in need of renovation and conversion. Plotfinder.net displays thousands of building plots, barns, renovation and conversion sites available throughout the UK.

Things to Check

Once you have found a likely piece of land you will need to do some research and check on a few key points:

1. Is the land in an area where building is permitted?
2. Does the land already have outline planning for building? Check this with the local authority and, if it does not have outline planning approval, do not finalise your purchase until that approval is granted.
3. Are the boundaries and titles clearly defined? Have you checked these with the land registry? 
4. Are there any restrictive convenants on the land?
5. What services are available - electricity, gas, water - how far?
6. How accessible is the land for deliveries?