Straight answers.

A legal agreement in which a property owner grants another party the right — but not the obligation — to purchase their property or land within a defined period, on defined terms. The holder pays an upfront premium for that right, and the agreement is typically registered against the property's title.

Options have been standard practice among UK housebuilders and strategic land promoters for decades.

The current owner remains the full legal owner throughout. They keep possession, use and responsibility for the property. Ownership changes only if the option is exercised and the purchase completes on the agreed terms.

If the option is not exercised within the agreed period, the right lapses. The owner retains the property and keeps the premium; the holder's outlay — the premium and any professional costs incurred — is not returned.

This is the principal, defined cost of an unsuccessful option position, and it is known before any agreement is signed.

Against fixed criteria: clear title and a willing counterparty; a credible, specific route to value; terms that serve both parties; and documented provision for every outcome. Opportunities failing any stage are declined — most are.

Our selection process is described in more detail on the About page.

The material ones are these. The premium is lost if an option expires unexercised. Planning and allocation outcomes are inherently uncertain, whatever the quality of the analysis. Property markets move, and a documented purchase price can become unattractive. Option positions are less liquid than listed investments, and assignment — where permitted — depends on finding a willing party.

Each investment memorandum sets out the risks specific to that opportunity. We would rather you understood them fully than invested quickly.

Through periodic written updates covering the facts of each position: planning progress, milestones reached or missed, and any material change in circumstances. Reporting is factual by policy — what has happened, not what we hope will happen.

Some agreements permit the holder to assign their rights to another party; others restrict or exclude it. Assignment provisions are set out explicitly in each agreement, so the position is known before any commitment is made.

Independent solicitors prepare and complete all option agreements, following a standard commercial structure: option period, premium, valuation method, exercise conditions, assignment rights, expiry provisions and registration. Both parties are advised to take independent legal advice.