Questions people ask us

Our research suggests that part of your property may be worth more with a credible planning route than it is today. That is a reason to talk, not a finding that it would get permission.

Yes. LandKite is run by Max Derry, a named person, and you can see his photograph and background on About us. Call the number on this website, rather than one you have been given elsewhere, and ask for Max. We will never ask you for money, bank details or passwords.

From public maps and records, such as HM Land Registry, Ordnance Survey maps and local planning documents. We did not visit your land to find it.

From public records of who owns land, usually HM Land Registry. The bottom of our letter says which record we used. If your details are wrong, tell us and we will correct or delete them.

We look at each piece of land on its own: its size, shape, access and the planning policies that apply to it. We never tell anyone who else we have written to, and we will not tell your neighbours that we wrote to you.

No. Our research is done remotely. Nobody would visit your land without agreeing a time with you first.

Please tell us. We will correct our records, and we will not write to you about that land again.

No. If you do not reply, nothing happens. If you would rather not hear from us again, use our stop letters form, or tell us by phone or email, and we will stop writing to you.

Only if you agree to it. Your privacy, your views and your access come first. We ask about them in our first conversation, and they shape what we propose, or whether we propose anything at all.

Yes. Often only part of a property is worth pursuing, and you may want to keep a garden, a paddock or an access route. Tell us what you want to keep and we will work around it.

Yes. The land stays yours, and in your use, until a sale completes. We would agree with you in advance when surveyors or consultants need to visit.

Tell us about them early. Tenancies, rights of way, covenants and shared access can all affect what is possible. Our specialists check them, and any agreement has to deal with them properly.

That is common and does not stop a conversation. Your lender may need to consent to the agreement, and the mortgage is paid off from the sale price in the usual way. Your solicitor handles this.

Every legal owner needs to agree before anything is signed. We will happily talk to all of you together, and we will not pressure whoever replies first.

We offer to pay for and run the planning process for your land. In return, you agree that if permission is granted, we can buy the land at a price agreed at the start. If permission is refused, the agreement ends and you keep your land.

It is a written agreement that gives a buyer the right, but not the duty, to buy land at an agreed price within a set period, usually once planning permission is granted. During that period the owner cannot sell the land to anyone else.

No. Another common route is a promotion agreement, where the land is sold on the open market once permission is granted and the proceeds are shared. We will explain which route we suggest for your land and why, and your solicitor can compare them.

Either is possible. Some agreements fix a price at the start. Others set a formula, such as a share of the value once permission is granted, often with a minimum price. The proposal says which, in plain figures, before you decide.

It depends on the agreement. It could be LandKite, a company set up for your land, or a housebuilder the agreement is passed to after permission is granted. Whoever buys, the price and terms you agreed still apply, and we tell you who the parties are before you sign.

Many agreements link the price to what permission actually allows. Yours will say plainly how the price works if the permission is different from the plan.

Yes. We might stop if our specialists find a problem, or if permission is refused. If we stop, the agreement ends as it sets out, and you keep your land.

Only as the agreement allows, because it is a binding contract. That is why you should read it with your own solicitor, take your time and only sign when you are comfortable.

No. Conversations, our research and any heads of terms are all subject to contract. You are only committed once you sign a formal written agreement.

Yes, please do. We are happy to talk to anyone you want involved, and we expect you to take independent advice before agreeing to anything.

From signing an agreement to a sale completing often takes between one and two years. It can take longer if the council asks for more information or the application goes to appeal. We cannot promise a timescale, because councils and appeals set the pace. The timeline on how it works breaks it down stage by stage.

We aim to reply within two working days. A first conversation can happen whenever suits you.

Usually a few weeks after our first conversation, once our specialists have looked at the land. If they find a problem, we tell you instead.

Councils in England aim to decide smaller applications within eight weeks and larger ones within 13 weeks, but many take longer. Preparing the application beforehand usually takes a few months.

Long enough for planning to be applied for and, if needed, appealed, which is often a few years. The exact length is written into the proposal, and the agreement ends at that date if permission has not been granted.

You never pay us. We pay for the planning work. Who pays for your own solicitor is set out in writing in our proposal.

It depends on your land, and we cannot give a figure from a map. We aim to agree a price above what your land would sell for today, because it is set with planning in mind. Any price is in writing, and you can have it checked by a valuer or land agent of your own.

Some agreements include one and some do not. If ours does, the amount is in the written proposal.

Land with planning permission is usually worth more than the price we agree to pay for it. That difference pays for the planning work, the applications that are refused, our funders’ return and our costs. If planning is refused, we lose what we spent.

We do, with investors we have teamed up with. If a particular company would be a party to your agreement, we name it and explain it before any paperwork.

Selling land can have tax consequences, such as Capital Gains Tax, and the timing of a sale can matter. We cannot give tax advice, so please speak to an accountant or tax adviser before you sign.

No. We would be the buyer, so our interests and yours differ. That is why we ask you to take independent advice before signing anything, and why we will never rush you.

Buying land with an option agreement is not a regulated financial activity, so LandKite is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Max’s mortgage business, Maxwell Mortgages, is a separate business and is not involved in LandKite arrangements.

No. Everything we say, write or send before a formal agreement is signed is subject to contract. By law, a contract for land in England and Wales must be in writing and signed by everyone involved. Our website terms say more.

We use it only to talk to you about your land, we never sell it, and we keep it no longer than we need to. Our privacy notice explains exactly what we hold, why and for how long.

Use our stop letters form, or call or email and tell us. We will stop writing to you straight away and answer any request about your information within one month. The contact page explains how.