Finding land: Introducing Addland Land Types

Addland is the single destination for land. And that means all land. Building our land platform meant designing a suite of digital tools varied enough to fit the needs of everyone involved in land. It also meant creating a number of broad land categories that allow agents to list all their stock, and buyers to easily find the kind of land they’re looking for. There are 5 categories of land on Addland: Rural, Development, Agricultural, Environmental, and Residential. They distill the huge variety of land uses into 5 logical, easy-to-understand groups. Within the 5 land categories are 18 smaller 'land types' that range from equestrian properties to land for Biodiversity Net Gain credit creation and everything inbetween. Using the broader land categories in conjunction with these more precise land types allows you to streamline the process of sorting through the thousands of pieces of land listed on Addland to quickly find what you’re looking for.

We’ve written this handy guide to walk you through the definitions of each land type, and how you can use them to navigate the site. Some are pretty self-explanatory, but reading this guide when using Addland will make your land finding experience even more effortless. Once you’ve found a relevant plot of land, you can use Addland to carry out any necessary research on it, and get in touch with the agent who’s listed it. 

There are 5 Addland Land Categories  

• Rural
• Development
• Agricultural 
• Environmental 
• Residential

TOP TIP: Make sure you click ‘Save’ after selecting your land type or land category

RURAL 

Our Rural land category contains land used for a broad variety of things. If you’re looking for versatile space in the country, or for land to devote to traditional countryside pastimes, such as horse riding, shooting or fishing, this is the category for you. The land types within it are:     

Bare land 
Bare land has many uses. It may be used for agricultural, recreational or business purposes. 

Equestrian 
A mix of a residential home and additional buildings that come with stables and other facilities for horses, such as grazing land and riding trails. Listings in this land category range from single-horse stables to world-class equestrian training facilities. 

Recreation
A piece of land that can be used for many uses; such as sports, camping, fishing and animal centres. Shoots and commercial fisheries can also be found in this land category, so whether you’re looking for land for personal use, or to build a business on, you can find it here. 

Woodland
Land that has over 20% or the potential to achieve 20% canopy coverage from its trees across the entire area. Addland is the number one place to find woodlands in England and Wales and we’ve written a number of guides on the buying process, and the benefits of spending time amongst the trees. 

DEVELOPMENT 

Addland’s Development land category is any land with the potential to be built on, enhanced or have its use changed. It can be sold with planning permission for these works already granted, but that's not a given. If you’re looking for land to develop, this is the place to start. Development Land encompasses 9 different land types:

Brownfield 
Brownfield land is land which has previously been developed but not currently used. It includes former factories, abandoned buildings, or derelict sites. Planning permission is easy to come by on brownfield land as it ensures no land is wasted, but costs can be higher if you need to clear the site before starting development. For more information, you can read our guide on buying land.

Greenfield
Greenfield land is land that has never been built on. Typically more rural, it can be a great blank canvas for development, though access to infrastructure should be factored in.  

Refurbishment 
An existing building/piece of land, usually derelict or worse for wear, with potential or planning permission to improve/modernise its condition.

Conversion
Converting an existing structure into a residential building. This can be a large house, pub or even office conversion. 

Redevelopment 
Redevelopment is the replacement, rehabilitation, or repurposing of existing improvements on an already developed site.

Small site
An area that typically has capacity for between 2 and 25 new homes

Large site
An area that has the capacity for between 50 and 500+ new homes to be built. 

Strategic land 
Strategic land is land which can’t be developed right now but, should planning be approved, could be used to expand urban areas, build large housing developments or amenities like shopping centres. Strategic land is often well-located (e.g. on the edge of towns) and will have building potential; these conditions are necessary but not sufficient for achieving their development, as getting planning approved can be a long and tricky process that could take years. If it is granted by the Local Planning Authority, though, the rewards can be substantial.    

Self build 
Self build covers a wide spectrum but usually involves a single plot which is built by the owner themselves or they commission an accredited builder to build their home. Self-building gives the freedom to be as creative as you want - options range from eco homes to tiny houses and large designs. 

Every listing on Addland will have a dedicated section with information about that land’s Planning Application, telling you whether it has been granted full consent, outline consent or is in the pre-application stage. As well as this, there’ll be relevant documents attached, and that planning application’s reference number. It’s an example of how the platform helps you understand development land once you’ve found it.        

AGRICULTURAL

The Agricultural land category covers all land listings used to grow or farm produce. There are 7 land types within the broader Agricultural land category, which lets you sort listings based on what they produce: farms, dairy farms, livestock farms and arable farms, orchards and vineyards, as well as smallholdings.  

Farm 
An area of land, together with the buildings on it, that is used for growing crops or raising animals, usually in order to sell them. Farms are increasingly diversified - this land category includes farms that produce a number of things, rather than one single product. 

Dairy Farm
A farm devoted solely to the production of milk, typically of cows.

Livestock Farm 
The management and breeding of domestic, livestock or farm animals for the purpose of obtaining their meat and products (eggs, wool, beef etc.)

Arable Farm
Consists of harvesting crops such as wheat & barley rather than animals or fruit and vegetables.

Orchard
Land used to grow fruit. Orchards can range from large, dedicated commercial ventures to features of large gardens, growing fruit for a single family. 

Vineyard
Land used to produce wine. Found in the South of England, the number of acres used to grow vines has been increasing for a number of years. 

Smallholding 
An agricultural holding smaller than a farm, ranging from small allotment sized plots through to mixed farms less than 50 acres. Smallholdings can be either ‘subsistence’, growing solely for their occupants’ needs, or ‘cash crop’ growing for profit. 

The Addland Research tool also lets you carry out due diligence on any agricultural land you find, and our acreage filter lets you narrow down your search to only find plots of a size you’re interested in. You can read our Researching land with Addland Essential and Increasing Accuracy guides to find out more about how we’ve optimised our platform for agricultural land.  

ENVIRONMENTAL 

Addland believes in building the market for Environmental Land. As more and more land is used to fight the climate emergency, increase biodiversity, and generate clean energy, our platform helps buyers and sellers of the likes of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) credit land and land for solar farms connect with each other. As it comes to market, you’ll soon be able to find sites for BNG credit generation and renewable energy leasing, on Addland. 

Biodiversity 
This is land used to generate BNG credits, which will play a crucial role in offsetting the negative environmental impacts of development. From 2023, there will be a mandatory biodiversity net gain requirement on most planning applications in England, and biodiversity land will enable that requirement to be achieved, whilst also facilitating development. 

RESIDENTIAL 

Land and country properties often come together. The Residential land category allows you to find great-quality rural properties with 5 acres or more. Listing properties from some of the biggest agents in the country, including Savills, Knight Frank, and Jackson Stops, as well as countless regional land agents, listings in this land category come in 2 smaller land types:

Country Home
Land with 5 acres or more that has a residential home included in the registered title. 

Country Estate    
Land with 100 acres or more that has a residential home included in the registered title.

If you’re looking for a residence in the country, you can also use our size and price filters to more precisely search for your perfect home

As we continue to connect buyers and sellers of land, Addland’s industry-leading land types help provide clarity to agents listing their land and streamline the process the those trying to find their dream piece of land. It’s just one way we’re Making it Easy to Find, Research, Buy or Sell Land.