Housing developers in the West Country have become much more specific in their land requirements as the sector shows the first signs of emerging from the downturn.
Matthew Hiles, director of Flax Bourton-based CJH Land, said: “Location, location, location is still top of the agenda but the type of housing proposed must also be appropriate with traditional two-storey housing at the top of the list.
“Property owners with land that is suitable for development will enhance the value and sale-ability of their land by ensuring that they get the right advice when designing schemes and layouts through the planning process.”
Matthew Hiles said that the recent market conditions had left developers much more particular on the type of houses they wanted to build.
He said: “Getting a planning permission for residential development is now a very complex process, the amount of detail that is now required would surprise most people. The number of different reports necessary can be very expensive and if the right type of scheme is not designed then the best value will not be achieved.”
He advised that getting the correct advice before and during the planning process was vital and would save a lot of time and money.
“We often say there are two types of schemes, one which has been designed by an architect on behalf of a landowner when the only real purpose was to obtain the planning permission, the other has been scrutinised and value engineered so that the cost of construction has been minimised and the value of the developed scheme has been maximised.
“The land value that two different types of scheme would create on the same piece of land could be significantly different. Most landowners applying for a planning permission would not appreciate that.”
He added: “CJH Land have made a priority of creating and maintaining an excellent working relationship with most national and regional developers so we understand exactly what their demands are and what type of schemes and locations they require”.
“We have an extensive portfolio of purchasers who are well funded and constantly seeking residential and mixed use schemes. We are always looking for new opportunities, with or without a planning permission and ready to advise property and landowners on any aspects of their property regarding the sale or gaining the most appropriate permission to maximise its value.”
“The number of sites with a planning permission for housing was restricted by the recession, however due to a lack of supply and housing developers demanding the right type of site now is a great time to be promoting your land and getting a consent.”
