Updated October 2026 · Fraser Bond
Land buying
An acre is about 4,047 m² – roughly half a football pitch
4,047 m²one acre
0.405hectares
Planningdrives value
Accessis essential
In short: A single acre suits a paddock, smallholding, woodland plot, amenity land or, with planning permission, a small number of homes. Price depends almost entirely on what you're allowed to do with it: agricultural or amenity land costs a fraction of land with residential permission. Check access, services, planning history and title before you commit.
Land size and cost calculator
Square metres–
Hectares–
Price per acre–
Total cost to acquire–
Stamp duty on non-residential land uses different rates and thresholds; check current rates.
- Horses and grazing (with suitable fencing and water)
- Smallholding: vegetables, poultry, bees
- Woodland, wildlife and leisure
- Garden extension or amenity land
- Building a house or holiday lets
- Permanent caravans or mobile homes
- Stables and field shelters in many cases
- Commercial uses such as storage or events
- Plots sold as "investment land" with promised planning
- Landlocked plots with no legal access
- Green Belt and protected landscapes
Checks before buying an acre
Frequently asked questions
How big is an acre?
About 4,047 square metres, or 0.405 hectares.
Can I build a house on an acre of land?
Only with planning permission, which is hard to get outside settlement boundaries.
Can I keep horses on one acre?
Usually one horse needs at least one to two acres of good grazing, plus management.
Looking for land?
Tell us what you want to do with it and we'll find suitable plots.
Speak to our team
