Not All Land Is Developable

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:08:47 -0700

When people first start investing in land, it is easy to assume that any vacant plot represents an opportunity. After all, if a site is not being used, surely someone can build on it?

Unfortunately, that is rarely the case.

Over the years, I have reviewed many sites. Some have looked incredibly promising at first glance, only to be ruled out after a few hours of due diligence. Others have appeared completely overlooked
yet turned out to have genuine development potential because the right questions were asked early.

The reality is that successful land investment is not about finding empty land. It is about identifying land that has a realistic prospect of development while understanding the risks before spending
significant time or money.

Whether you are a seasoned property investor or considering your first land purchase, these are the 12 checks I carry out before deciding whether a site is worth pursuing.

1. Planning Policy

The first question is simple:

Does the local planning authority support development in this location?

Every council has a Local Plan that identifies where future development is encouraged and where it is restricted. National planning policy is important, but local policy usually determines how individual sites are viewed.

For example, a plot inside a settlement boundary may have significantly better prospects than a similar-sized site located in open countryside.

Planning policy will not provide all the answers, but it gives the first indication of whether a site deserves further investigation.

2. Ownership and Title

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CAA Third | City & Coast Staging and Design

Not All Land Is Developable