Can you get a mortgage on land?

Yes, but usually not with a standard residential mortgage. Most home lenders want a habitable building as security, so land on its own is financed with a specialist land loan, a self-build mortgage, bridging finance or a commercial mortgage. Which option fits depends on what the land is for and whether it has planning permission.

A loan on land where the borrower intends to build and live in a home is usually regulated, while land bought for business, farming or investment is usually not (FCA Handbook PERG 4.4, accessed 20 Oct 2026). Lenders confirm the intended use before an application goes ahead, because it decides which rules and products apply.

The main options are a land loan from a specialist lender, a self-build mortgage for a plot where the buyer will build a home, bridging finance for a quick or short-term purchase, development finance for building projects, and a commercial or agricultural mortgage for land used in a business. Some buyers also use equity from a property they already own.

Each option has its own term, pricing and checks. Self-build mortgages release money in stages, bridging is repaid within months, and agricultural mortgages can run for many years. The plan for the land, and how the loan will be repaid, usually points to the right type.

Lenders look at planning permission, access, services, ground conditions, boundaries, the title and the land's current use. They value land on what it is now, not what it might become, so bare land without planning is valued much lower than a plot with consent. The borrower's income, deposit, credit history and experience are assessed as well.

Land that is easy to reach, has clear boundaries and a straightforward title is easier to finance. Land with rights of way, shared access, flood risk or contamination has fewer lenders. How lenders treat plots with consent, and the difference between outline and full planning, is explained on the land with planning permission page.

Deposits for land are usually larger than for a home, because land is harder for a lender to sell if the loan goes wrong. The deposit tends to rise for land without planning, remote land, unusual plots and buyers without a track record, and it is based on the lender's valuation rather than the agreed price.

Purchase costs come on top of the deposit. Stamp Duty Land Tax applies to land purchases in England, with non-residential rates for land that is not part of a home, and legal, valuation and survey fees all need to be budgeted for before committing to a purchase.

Vacant land with no buildings can be financed by specialist lenders, usually on shorter terms. Leased land, such as a plot held on a long ground lease, can be mortgaged if enough of the lease remains and the terms are acceptable to the lender. Short leases and leases with unusual restrictions have fewer lenders.

Owners with a mortgage on their home sometimes want to add land, sell part of their land or split a plot. Each needs the existing lender's consent, because the lender's security changes. Adding land can be done by extending the mortgage or with a separate loan, and selling part usually needs a partial release from the lender.

Building on land that already carries a mortgage also needs the lender's consent, and a larger project may be refinanced onto a self-build or development loan. The lender's view of the change depends on how it affects the value of its security.

Land loans differ on loan-to-value, term, pricing, fees and how lenders treat planning, access and the borrower's experience. Comparing several lenders on the same land, with the same loan amount and term, gives a like-for-like view, and the total cost including fees matters more than the headline rate on its own.

Typical repayments on a given loan can be estimated with the land mortgage calculator, which shows how the rate, term and loan size change the monthly cost.