Cheap Land For Sale


Image showing cheap land for sale in the UK
Finding cheap land for sale in the UK can prove difficult if your budget for buying land is very low. Photo © Jonathan Clitheroe (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Finding cheap land for sale in the UK

Locating cheap land for sale in the UK is more difficult than you may think. Due to the forces at work in the UK property market and the general property prices in the UK, land in Britain generally isn’t as cheap as it may be in some other countries.

That being said, it is possible to find disused land for very low prices if you look in the right areas. Contacting relevant bodies such as the Land Registry in the UK can also prove to be very fruitful. The Land Registry keeps records of unregistered land around the UK and this class of land can sometimes be acquired for reasonably low amounts of money.

It should also be noted that buying cheap land for sale around the UK comes with it’s own set of issues and problems, some of which we shall examine in this article.

The problem with cheap land in the UK

It may seem like an ideal situation to buy land at a very low price and believe you are able to do what you wish with your newly purchased property, but this is not the case. As many buyers of cheap land throughout the UK have discovered, a new set of issues can rear their heads, some of which you only find out after buying the land.

Some of the problems associated with buying cheap land for sale include:

  • Inability to gain planning permission to build
  • Problems with access to the land
  • Issues with drainage, bedrock, subsidence and flooding
  • Issues with the class designation of the land

The issue of planning permission is probably the biggest cause of frustration for anyone who has bought very cheap land in the UK. Many people with good intentions have been thwarted at the last minute by the local planning authority, making their initial land purchase virtually worthless.

Before making any purchase of cheap land on which you intend to build or place any structure, it is critical you speak to the local planning authority first, no matter how good a deal the cheap land may seem. Without permission, you may not be able to place or build any structure.

Image showing cheap rural land for sale in the UK
Cheap rural land for sale such as moorland should be treated with great care. It is almost certain that no planning would be granted with this type of land. Photo © Humphrey Bolton (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Let us take a look at the very low priced land market and what you could expect for certain price brackets in the UK.

Cheap UK Land FAQ

Where can I find cheap land for sale in the UK?

You can find cheap land for sale in the UK by visiting the area you are interested in and talking to local people. many pieces of cheap land are not advertised or promoted and it may be possible to buy a fairly cheap piece of land from a local farmer. You can also search the UK land registry for unregistered land.

Where can I buy land for under £5000 in the UK?

It is possible to buy land for under £5000 in the UK but is it very unlikely that land bought for this price will be suitable for any kind of structure or building. It is also possible that a caravan or temporary structure could be placed on land bought for less than £5000, but you would need to abide by local authority rules regarding habitation.

Can I buy land for under £10,000 in the UK?

It is highly likely that you can buy land for under £10,000 in the UK but perhaps not for building or construction. If you wish to by a field or space for an animal, or establish a vegetable garden or allotment, then it is likely you can acquire such land for under £10,000. Talk to local landowners and conduct a search with the Land Registry for unregistered land.


Cheap land for sale under £5000

In this extremely low price band it would be fair to say your expectations should be fairly low. It is almost certain that if you buy land for sale in the UK for under £5000 it will not be a candidate for any kind of building and this will almost certainly be land without planning permission. The same problems occur for those who successfully claim free land in the UK.

Some people have bought land for under £5000 and managed to successfully place a caravan or shed on the land, but it is unlikely you would be allowed to live in such a structure on a full time basis. Decisions like these will be made by the local authority and in many cases people who have moved into caravans on very cheap land have received orders to either move out completely or limit their habitation to only a few weeks per year.

Realistically speaking, buying cheap land for under £5000 is never going to yield good results unless you have another use in mind, such as an allotment for vegetables, a temporary building such as a shed or using the land for a small number of animals such as chickens.

In recent years there has been a trend among buyers to look for smallholdings for sale in Wales in order to acquire cheap land. Yes, you may be able to buy a smallholding for a reasonable price but this does not mean you can use it as a building plot to erect a house.

Related property articles:
Claim derelict land in the UK
Finding derelict buildings for sale
Buying UK land for sale

Buying cheap land for sale under £10,000

Finding land for sale under £10,000 does open a little more scope although many of the same issues described above still exist. If you are looking for a paddock or field for an animal, then it may be possible to buy this kind of cheap land for sale under £10,000. However, if you are considering building or placing a caravan, shed or other temporary structure, you will still be at the mercy of the local authority.

Wile it may seem like a lot of money t ordinary people, finding and buying land for under £10,000 is not going to get you a building plot unless you are extremely lucky. It may, however, get you a usable piece of land which you can utilise for other purposes.

Image showing a caravan located on cheap land
Buying land for under £10,000 may allow you to place a caravan but depending on local authority rules full time habitation may be prohibited. Photo © Trevor Littlewood (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Buying a derelict farm

One very good option for anyone looking for cheap land for sale in the UK is to consider the option of buying a derelict farm for sale. In recent times more and more farms have become derelict and prices have been driven down by market conditions. It may also be possible to buy an individual field or piece of disused land from a farmer, but you should consider access and legal issues before such a purchase.

If you wish to consider buying an entire derelict farm it may come with buildings such as a barn which could be converted and resold or another property which could be renovated. It is also possible to sell all the pieces of the farm you do not wish to keep, or to lease the arable land to an adjacent farm to recover some costs.

Cheap housing plots in the UK

Housing plots, especially those with outline planning permission, are not as cheap as they once were. The cheapest cities in the UK for housing plots at the moment are Inverness in Scotland, with an average price of £90,000, Nottingham in England at around £102,000 and parts of north Wales at around £100K.

At these prices some may not consider these to be examples of cheap land and indeed it is possible to buy a country property for this kind of money. If you are open minded, flexible and prepared to wait it is possible to buy cheap land for sale in the UK if you spend enough time researching the area you are interested in.

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