Hawthorn Cottage, Loxwood – 18 New Homes

The owners of Hawthorn Cottage on Guildford Road in Loxwood approached Searls Land after a frustrating experience with a previous developer. 

Their land had already been tied up under contract, but the developer had been unsuccessful in securing planning permission and ultimately allowed the agreement to run its course. 

The landowners were understandably keen to take a different approach. More importantly, they had some very specific requirements about how any future sale needed to work for them. 

Searls Land was appointed to provide fresh advice, identify the right buyer and structure a transaction around what the landowners actually needed. 

A Sale Structured Around the Landowners 

The owners didn’t want to enter another lengthy agreement dependent upon a developer securing planning permission. 

Instead, they wanted the certainty of an unconditional sale without planning permission. 

However, selling the land was only part of the equation. Hawthorn Cottage was their home, so they needed sufficient time to find somewhere suitable to move to without being put under unnecessary pressure. 

Searls Land therefore sought a buyer prepared to purchase the site unconditionally while agreeing to a 12-month delayed completion, giving the owners the security of knowing their land was sold alongside the time they needed to find their next home. 

At the same time, we ensured the landowners retained an overage provision, allowing them to share in the additional value if residential planning permission was subsequently achieved. 

Certainty Today, Without Giving Away Tomorrow’s Value 

This structure gave the landowners something that a conventional planning agreement couldn’t: certainty. 

They knew their property was sold regardless of whether the purchaser subsequently achieved planning permission. They had 12 months to organise their move, and importantly, they hadn’t given away all of the potential development upside. 

The overage meant that if the purchaser was successful in unlocking further value from the site, the previous owners would benefit too. 

That protection proved particularly valuable. 

Planning Permission for 18 Homes 

Following the sale, the purchaser progressed a new residential scheme through the planning process and successfully secured approval for 18 dwellings. 

The planning permission triggered the overage provisions negotiated as part of the original transaction, resulting in a further payment to the former landowners. 

Within approximately 24 months, the owners had sold their property unconditionally, found and moved into their new home and subsequently received an additional overage payment following the planning approval. 

The Result 

Previous developer unsuccessful | Unconditional sale without planning | 12-month delayed completion | Overage retained | Planning approval for 18 homes | Additional payment to the landowners 

Hawthorn Cottage demonstrates why selling development land isn’t always simply about achieving the highest headline offer. 

For these landowners, certainty, timing and protecting their future interest in the development value were equally important. 

By understanding their circumstances before approaching the market, Searls Land was able to structure a transaction that delivered what they actually needed – while ensuring they still benefited when planning permission was subsequently achieved. 

After years of uncertainty with the previous developer, within two years the landowners had sold, moved home and received their overage payment. 

If your land is already tied up with a developer, an agreement is coming to an end, or a previous attempt to secure planning permission has failed, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to start the same process again. Speak to Searls Land about the alternatives available and how a sale can be structured around your circumstances as well as the value of your land.