Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about Spotaplot. For anything else, please get in touch.

Searching for plots

Currently, you can search anywhere in England and Wales. We are also developing Spotaplot for other countries such as Scotland.

You can either drop a pin or type in a city, town, address or postcode.

1 to 5km

75 – 1000 sq m.

Yes. If you wish to conduct a bespoke search, simply adjust the filters to suit your search criteria.

When searching for potential building plots, Spotaplot lists every plot within the search radius you specify. You then have the option to reveal the information for each plot by exchanging credits.

To get the best value for your credits, we suggest using the following simple search tips.

Tip 1: Use the pre-set search filters. Use the pre-set filters to produce a list of potential plots with the least number of inherent problems. To use these filters, simply add your search location and hit the 'Find Plots' button. The results will be listed within seconds.

Tip 2: Adjust the plot size. If you know the specific size of a plot you're after, adjust the 'Plot Size' measurements to match your needs. If you are considering building a modular home, this is a great way to find plots that match the minimum plot size provided by modular homes manufacturers. If you have these minimum plots size measurements, we suggest increasing the Maximum sq m to 400sq m.

Tip 3: Remove the Outbuildings (Plot) filter. If the pre-set search results aren't delivering plots that you like, try unticking the 'Outbuildings (Plot)' in the 'Exclusions filter'. By doing so, the search results could deliver more potential plots, but these plots will have outbuilding/s that may need moving/relocating to make way for a proposed development.

Tip 4: Organise the search results. Use the 'Sort By' function in 'Search Results' to organise the search results. Selecting 'largest to smallest' is a great way to list the largest plots in the area first.

Tip 5: Shortlist Plots. Use the 'Shortlist' function in 'Search Results' to highlight plots that catch your attention. Then switch to the 'Shortlist' dashboard and exchange credits to reveal them. This is a great way to maximise the value of your credits.

The separation distance is the measurement between an existing property and a proposed property. There are hundreds of planning authorities in England and Wales, most of which have their own criteria regarding separation distances. For this reason, our search function uses a default separation distance of 12 metres to encompass the commonly recognised shortest separation distance relating to a proposed development on a corner plot. It is worth noting that the common range for the separation distance regarding rear garden plots (often referred to as tandem plots or back land plots) is between 20-22 metres. If you find a plot you like, we suggest you further your feasibility research by referring to the local planning policy relating to the plot you are researching.

3.7 metres.

We use many different data sources from many trusted suppliers including Land Registry and Ordnance Survey. On extremely rare occasions, the data can have slight errors, which may, in turn, cause some odd results to be shown in your search dashboard. If you experience this, please report the plot using the 'Plot feedback' link on the bottom left-hand side of the search dashboard, and we will replace the credits you used to reveal the plot. Our tech team will also review the plot and if deemed appropriate, remove it from the database to avoid this issue reoccurring for other members.

Plot information

You can select from a range of standard house footprint plans specified by Technical Housing Standards. These include bungalows and 2 and 3-storey detached houses. You can also select from 1 to 6 bedrooms.

Yes. Each potential plot we display has the proposed access highlighted.

If you use our default search settings, we will show you plots that do not have prohibitive factors that could affect a successful planning application. These prohibitive factors include Listed Buildings, Flood Zones, Conservation Areas, Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSIs), National Parks and Historical Landfill Sites.

By using our pre-set search filters, you can eliminate potential plots with outbuildings from your search. By unticking the outbuildings filter, the search results will show plots with outbuildings. If you choose to include outbuildings in your search you can turn these on and off when viewing a plot in map mode.

Trees, dense foliage or similar are not accounted for in search results. This is because satellite information displayed on maps does not necessarily provide a true indication of how these features may impact on the potential of a plot/s.

A Plot Report combines many detailed features that allows you to get a true snapshot of a building plot's potential. When you purchase a Plot Report you can add a proposed building footprint to the plot, calculate the estimated gross development value and estimated land value. You can also add your expected costs such as build costs per square metre and Stamp Duty Land Tax. All of this information is compiled and added to a bespoke Plot Report.

No. A Plot Report provides an instant snapshot regarding the potential of a piece of land. It does not guarantee any rights to gain planning permission or guarantee the landowner will sell their land to you.

We use national and local sales information provided by Land Registry and other credible sources. We also include a standard 10% new build premium, which you can adjust manually.

Garden land values commonly range between 27-33% of the Gross Development Value. Our calculator is set to 30% - the midpoint - but you can adjust this value to suit your development goals.

This standard deals with internal space within new dwellings and is suitable for application across all tenures. It sets out requirements for the Gross Internal (floor) Area of new dwellings at a defined level of occupancy as well as floor areas. For more information please click here.

Development Blocks combine the various surface areas of the following components: the ground floor footprint of a property, suggested minimal front and rear gardens, side access strip, parking and garages. These areas are combined in various combinations to create a range of Development Blocks. When you exchange credits to create a Plot Report, a list of suitable Development Blocks will be listed that will fit (in terms of surface area) into the proposed plot.

The satellite images provided allow you to review the street scene and surrounding area of a plot. Satellite images are often taken from an angle, which can affect the way a proposed plot overlays the image.

Yes. Every plot displayed is scanned for rudimentary information relating to fire and rescue service vehicle access, and tagged with one of following three descriptions;

1: 'Fire service access within 65m' - this means the most extreme point of a suggested building plot is equal to, or less than, 65 metres from the highway adjacent to the existing property boundary in which the proposed plot is located.

2: 'Review fire service access' - this means the suggested building plot, or part of the suggested building plot, is more than 65 metres from the highway adjacent to the existing property boundary in which the proposed plot is located.

3: 'Fire service accessible' means a suggested building plot is located at the rear of an existing property boundary, and has direct access to the highway at the rear of the existing property boundary, and the most extreme point of the suggested building plot is equal to, or less than, 65 metres from the highway.

You can learn more about how fire and rescue service vehicle access impacts on suggested building plots by referring to HM Government's Building Regulations.

Using Spotaplot

To gain access to all of the plots on our system you buy credits and exchange them to reveal individual plot information and to purchase Plot Reports.

We always aim to provide you with high-quality plot information, but we appreciate sometimes things can go wrong. If you have payed to reveal a plot and you are not satisfied with the results because the information is indecipherable, please contact us and we will add replacement credits to your account.