17 services · Sussex & Surrey
Residential
Extensions, conversions and whole-home projects for homeowners, with site visits across West Sussex, East Sussex and Surrey.
Extensions
Development Site Appraisal Services
Know the Risks on a Site Before You Make an Offer. Nationwide.
Why Developers Trust ArchEvolve With Development Site Appraisals
Land decisions are made quickly, often against a bid deadline. ArchEvolve is MCIAT-chartered and turns planning history, designations, flood risk and access into a clear risk summary, so you understand what you are buying and can price the risk before you commit.
- 15 years of experience
- 350 planning approvals secured
- 500 projects completed
- Revit 3D modelling as standard
- MCIAT-chartered accreditation
Our services
From Site Appraisal to Planning
Once a site passes appraisal, our housing development feasibility studies test how many homes it can yield, while a general feasibility study suits single conversions. For the planning strategy itself, see planning applications for developers and brownfield residential development.
20 services · Nationwide
Developers & Commercial
Planning and technical design for developers and commercial clients across England.
Developer services
Site & feasibility
15 services · Homeowners and developers
Planning & Drawings
From the first feasibility check to construction drawings, in the order a project needs them.
01Feasibility & survey
02Planning
03Technical & construction
What Development Site Appraisal Services Cover
Development site appraisal services give you a planning and design view of a piece of land before you make an offer or exchange. We review the planning history, local plan status, designations, flood zone, heritage assets, protected trees, access and other constraints, then summarise what is likely to be achievable and which risks need specialist reports. The aim is a clear answer on whether to proceed, renegotiate or walk away.
Common challenges
- Bidding on land without knowing its planning history
- Hidden flood risk that limits where homes can be placed
- Listed buildings or conservation areas that constrain design
- Access points that highways officers are unlikely to accept
- Protected trees or ecology issues discovered after purchase
- Tight bid deadlines that leave no time for full design
How ArchEvolve solves them
- Past applications, refusals and appeals reviewed and summarised
- Flood zone checked against the Environment Agency flood map
- Heritage assets and their settings identified at the outset
- Access options assessed against frontage and visibility constraints
- Specialist surveys flagged early so you can price the risk
- Turnaround agreed up front to fit your offer timetable
How an ArchEvolve Project Works
Each appraisal follows seven steps, built around the speed of land deals rather than the pace of a full design commission.
Site and Deadline
You send the location, sales particulars and your offer deadline, and we agree the scope and turnaround on a free Teams call.
Planning History Search
We review previous applications, refusals, appeals and any extant permissions on the site and neighbouring land, noting what officers objected to.
Local Plan Status
We check whether the site is allocated, inside a settlement boundary, in the green belt or open countryside, and how current the local plan is.
Constraints Mapping
We map flood zones, heritage assets, tree preservation orders, rights of way, ecology designations and access points onto one site plan.
Quick Capacity Sketch
We model a simple 3D block layout to give an early indication of how much development the site could reasonably accommodate.
Risk Summary Report
You receive a concise report rating each constraint, listing the specialist surveys likely to be needed and the planning route we would recommend.
Offer Decision Call
We walk you through the findings on Teams so you can decide whether to proceed, renegotiate the price or terms, or walk away.
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Development Site Appraisals Across the UK
A 3D View of the Site Before You Buy
Most appraisals are a written list of constraints. ArchEvolve plots the constraints onto a Revit model of the site, so you can see at a glance where development can go and how a simple scheme would sit in its surroundings.
Constraints in 3D
Flood zones, heritage settings, trees and access are shown on a 3D site model with Enscape visuals, so the risks are easy to understand and share.
Fast Turnaround
Turnaround is agreed before work starts and built around your bid deadline, with the report focused on the issues that affect price and deliverability.
Planning Risk Focus
Every appraisal is grounded in local plan policy and the site's planning history, so you know which risks are routine and which could stop a scheme.
Senior Eyes Only
Alex Page reviews every site personally, with no junior staff, and can carry the scheme straight into capacity testing, design and a planning application.
Site Appraisals for Developers Nationwide
ArchEvolve appraises development sites for developers, investors and land buyers anywhere in the UK, working remotely over Microsoft Teams, with site visits arranged where they add value.
What is included in your development site appraisal services?
Each appraisal covers the planning history of the site and its neighbours, local plan status, flood zone, heritage assets, protected trees, rights of way, access and ecology designations, a simple 3D capacity sketch, and a risk summary with the specialist surveys we expect you to need.
How quickly can you appraise a site?
It depends on the size of the site and how much information is available, so we agree the turnaround before starting. Because the appraisal is focused on the questions that affect your offer, it is far quicker than a full feasibility or design commission.
How is a site appraisal different from a feasibility study?
An appraisal is due diligence on land before you buy: constraints, history and risk. A feasibility study tests design options for a project, and our housing development feasibility studies test capacity and unit mix in detail once the site is worth pursuing.
Do you check flood risk as part of the appraisal?
Yes. We check the site against the Environment Agency flood map for planning, which places land in Flood Zones 1, 2 or 3. Sites in the higher zones face extra policy tests and usually need a site-specific flood risk assessment, which can limit where homes can go.
Can you tell me whether a site will get planning permission?
Nobody can guarantee a planning outcome. What we can do is assess the likelihood, identify the policies and constraints that matter most, and point out where risk can be reduced. For uncertain sites, pre-application advice from the council is often the next step.
What other surveys will I need before buying land?
That depends on the site. Common ones are a topographical survey, ecology and tree surveys, ground investigation, and a highways or access assessment. In some areas, environmental issues such as water or nutrient neutrality add further evidence requirements. The appraisal tells you which are likely to be needed.
Can you appraise brownfield or commercial buildings for conversion?
Yes. Previously developed land and existing buildings bring their own questions, such as existing use, contamination and whether a conversion route applies. See our brownfield residential development and office to residential conversion services.
Do you need to visit the site?
Not always. Most of an appraisal is desk-based, using mapping, the planning register, local plan documents and your sales particulars, which is why it can be done quickly and remotely. Where a constraint can only be judged in person, we arrange a site visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start Your Development Site Appraisal Today
Send us the site location and your offer deadline for a free Teams consultation on scope and turnaround.
