Happy New Year, we just wish it was under happier circumstances than from within the depths of our third national lockdown!
You know how the saying goes, if it looks too good to be true, it usually is. We’ve become aware of many buyers falling victim to false advertising for land sales, and want to help you and your clients avoid suffering the same disappointment and wasted investment.
Running for the hills
The rotation of restrictions, lockdowns, homeschooling, home working and a craving for outside space, combined with the changes to stamp duty led many buyers to the property market in 2020. Whether ditching the city, the suburbs or a home that just didn’t feel fit for purpose anymore, buyers were keen to change things up and bag themselves a slice of the countryside.
Many of those buyers were and still are looking for a more rural outlook, and have been seduced by tantalising offers of land with development potential. It’s easy to see why. What a wonderful idea, swap the flat in Streatham and embark on your own seemingly affordable Grand Design. Unfortunately, some landowners seeing the demand for rural locations and the urgency to escape the cities wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation.
Too good to be true
If you or your client see a beautiful, rural plot of land for sale at an unbelievable price. It is almost certainly unbelievable for a reason. These cheap plots of land are largely being sold unscrupulously, promising the chance of creating your dream home in the country. The reality is that there is little chance of getting planning permission for them.
We have seen a real increase in buyers and solicitors seeking DevAssist reports when reviewing whether to purchase these plots – and those are the lucky ones. We can report back to these clients, whether their dream of a rural idyll is feasible or not with their chosen plot.
Play it safe
This increase in demand for reports for land sales, tells us that in addition to the people who are commissioning our reports, that many more are not doing their homework and buying the land without prior understanding of the development potential. Our DevAssess Premium in-depth report is the only one on the market that will disclose the real development potential of a site.
If you need advice, we have a wealth of experience in rural self-build and new build development planning and pitfalls.
Talk to us and commission a DevAssess Report before planning your great escape to the country.
