Developing a property site can mean anything from buying a small piece of ground and building a house on it, to procuring a large green field site with a view to building a development of a few hundred residential properties. Regardless of the magnitude of the project, many of the same steps must be followed to ensure a successful outcome.

The first thing to decide is why you are buying the ground and what you want the property you are going to build to do for you. Are you looking to build a home for you and your family? Do you want to build a property to rent out and bring you an income? Are you looking to build more than one property on the plot of ground? The answer to these questions will initially determine the size of plot you would need to buy and where you may need to buy it.

The decision on what you intend to build will dictate what size of plot you need but what you want to build on the plot will determine where you should buy your ground. Most local councils have house building targets to meet, set by central government as to how many new homes they are required to have built in their area, but they will look for any new development to reflect the character and surroundings of the local area. They will have guidelines as to the density of any housing development in terms of houses per acre and the type of development they would want to see in any given location. Even to build one dwelling house, you will need to consider the line of build of any existing surrounding property. Over-development of the site may be an issue if you are buying part of someone’s garden to build on.

All of the above would suggest that a conversation with the local authority planning department might be a good idea. This would give you an idea of what you might or might not get permission to build on any given site or in a specific locality. At this stage, depending on the size and purpose of your build, it may be worth deciding if you are going to take on this project as a private individual or, if you are planning something larger, as a limited company, which would give you additional financial protection You do not need to own a site to apply for planning consent to build on it but it would be sensible to approach the planning authority as the entity who would enable the development to move forward.

One of the most difficult aspects of property development is finding a site which meets all the requirements of the proposed development. Unlike property, where estate agents post “For Sale” boards advertising that a house is on the market, most plots of land which would be suitable for house building are not well advertised. The majority of developers have a network of agents, consultants or other developers who constantly work in this area and have inside knowledge of land which may be available for development. For the individual developer looking for a small plot to build a house to live in it can often become a matter of seeing a suitable piece of ground and asking locally as to the owner and then approaching them, asking if they would be willing to sell. This can be done in person or through a solicitor. Estate agents and land agents will occasionally know of plots for sale so it is worth enquiring of them.

The planning department of the local council will be able to tell you how many new homes they have committed to build in their area and this will also have a bearing on how they would welcome your proposed development. Most local authorities currently have house building targets in the hundreds, so if you are planning to build a new family home which would have little if any impact on their targets they will view your proposal in a different light to a larger development of significant size in terms of homes built. One house built on an individual plot will only impact on the immediate neighbours so will be treated accordingly, whereas a large development will potentially impact a large area as well as the existing infrastructure, such as schools, sewerage, traffic and services in that area. This will trigger demands for specialist reports on these subjects to ensure that they are all catered for in the new development at a cost to the developer. Bearing this in mind, most developers planning a substantial development will engage the services of specialist consultants and surveyors to ensure that these issues are properly addressed.  

The building of one or two houses on a small site would not warrant specialist involvement to that extent or expense but would probably be handled in the main by an architect. The architect would work with their client to ensure that they were happy with the design of the proposed property, then steer the proposal through the application to the local authority for planning permission. This would include a number of local issues such as concerns over parking, a report from an arboreal officer outlining which, if any trees would be affected by the build and concerns from neighbours over the proximity of the build to their property and the likely effect the new properties would have on them. A planning application for a small development should take around eight weeks if there are no contentious issues and the permission is granted at the first time of asking. Larger developments will take longer to go through the planning process as they are more involved due to the wider impact on the area and may be called to a planning committee.

Once the site has planning permission, you will be able to start work on the site and the first thing to do would be to ensure a reliable source of both water and electricity, both of which will be required during the construction phase. The site will need to be fenced off and a secure storage area will be required for safety and security, toilet facilities will also be required for the use of the work force. Some thought will also need to be given to parking during the construction phase, from the point of view of safety for other road users and access to the site for trucks delivering building materials. Both of these will impact residents in the immediate area and the management of this may be a condition of the planning permission for the development.

At this stage it is also important to appoint a site or construction manager to oversee the day to day running of the site, ensure that the necessary health and safety procedures are put in place and adhered to and coordinate the activities of the different trades working on the site. This requirement is covered by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) and is a legal requirement which covers all aspects of the development from start to finish. This includes how the site is organised and managed, to ensure the welfare of the contractor, the designer, work force and others on site and health and safety record keeping. For a small development, this responsibility can be with the main contractor with whom you placed the contract or the architect involved in the project. For a larger development, this aspect of the development should be covered by a suitably qualified and experienced individual. Failure to cover this requirement could mean that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will stop the project and in the worst case, the developer could be prosecuted. A suitable individual may be found by referring to https://www.localsurveyorsdirect.co.uk/construction-design-and-management and remember the old adage which says “If you think Health & Safety is expensive, try having an accident”

The main aim of developing a site for residential purposes is to build houses, which means that the building contractor is crucial to the success of the project. Builders, like most occupations, range from good, through indifferent to bad and it is important to ensure that the builders you engage with are up to the job. A building contractor with a track record of working on large scale developments may not be the right choice for a single house build and vice versa. Check your builder’s track record, experience and qualifications carefully. Get references and talk to previous clients to ensure that they are happy with their work. Always remember that the lowest price is not always the best value for money and always get detailed costings in writing to ensure you are comparing apples for apples.

Getting something wrong when you build one house on a small plot has a cost implication and that gets more substantial as the project gets bigger, so don’t get caught out. Take advice if you are unsure of any aspect of your development, there is a wealth of experience in the construction industry in the UK 

If you are looking for a Surveyor, you may find some of these links useful: