Do You Own Land in Essex or Hertfordshire?
If you own a large garden, a paddock, a farmyard or a field and you've ever wondered whether it might have development value — the honest answer is that it might. And finding out costs you nothing.
I'm Daniel Chapman, founder of Widford Property. We work with landowners across Essex and Hertfordshire to unlock the value in sites that often don't look like a development opportunity on the surface. If you're curious, I'd rather you spoke to me directly than spent months trying to work it out yourself.
Why the custom build approach often unlocks higher values
Most landowners who sell to a volume housebuilder receive an offer based on what that developer can build and sell as quickly as possible. That typically means the maximum number of units, delivered to a standard specification, with the offer reflecting that model — not the full potential of your site.
Custom and self-build development works differently. Smaller, design-led schemes attract buyers who value quality, location and individuality. Those buyers pay more. The homes sell well. And because our approach produces a better quality development that sits more comfortably within its surroundings, it tends to navigate the planning process more successfully too.
The result for landowners is frequently a higher net return than a bulk sale — often significantly higher — with a development they can feel good about on land they've owned for years.
What we offer landowners
We work with landowners at every stage — from early advice through to planning, delivery and sale. You don't need a planning application, a solicitor instructed or even a firm idea of what you want to do. What you need is a piece of land and a willingness to have a conversation.
We work primarily through option agreements — a structure where we take an option to purchase your land subject to planning, fund the entire planning process ourselves, and complete the purchase once consent is granted. We also work on joint venture structures for the right sites and can facilitate an outright sale with planning in place if that suits your situation better.
Whatever the structure, we fund all planning costs. You carry no financial risk during the process.
We'll tell you honestly what we think is possible and what we'd recommend — and if we don't think there's a viable opportunity, we'll tell you that too.
From first conversation to completion
We keep it straightforward:
We carry out an initial desktop assessment of the site and give you our honest view
You get in touch — a phone call or email is all it takes
We visit the site — things often look different on the ground and we want to be thorough
If there's a viable opportunity we agree heads of terms on the right structure for your situation
We get to work on planning immediately — at our cost, not yours
Once planning is granted the land is purchased or developed and you receive your agreed share of the value created
One thing worth understanding about how we work — we don't get paid until we secure planning consent and complete a sale. That means we move quickly, we work hard, and our interests are completely aligned with yours from day one.
The timeline from first conversation to planning consent varies depending on the site and the local planning authority. We manage every step and keep you informed throughout. You're never left wondering what's happening.
A straightforward conversation
We're not a land agent and we're not here to take your details and add you to a database. If you get in touch, you'll speak to me directly. I'll tell you what I think, answer your questions honestly, and if there's something worth exploring we'll take it from there.
No pressure. No obligation. No jargon.
If you own land in Essex or Hertfordshire and you'd like to understand what it might be worth, get in touch. The conversation costs nothing and you might be surprised by what's possible.