I am at the early stages of this; so I can only part answer your questions. But, basically, land is fairly easy to come buy. There will be various land agents nearby (particularly in the countryside) you just have to track them down.b (I've also used this site before: http://www.uklanddirectory.org.uk/index.asp)
Alternatively find a nice spot and find out who owns it; make an offer. You might get a good deal this way - I had my eye on a pretty nice third of an acre plot which I agreed for under £15,000 (which is a steal). Unfortunately there was a couple of NIMBYs over the other side of a small copse (in huge houses I should say) who had me in mind as an eco warrior and, I guess, expected hippies, and drugs and whatever other stereotypes they could come up with. And so planning permission was looking like an expensive process.
What do I look for in land (it is a personal thing of course!). I want a small amount of woodland - or access to woodland next door. I'd like a hillside so I can sink a house successfully. South facing plot (for build purposes). Road access. I'd like it to have a running watercourse. High water table so I can sink a well (that is a minefield of health and safety btw). Enough space to run a septic drain. Enough wind/sun to provide power [in the long term]. Close enough to have mains in the short term.
Alternatively find a nice spot and find out who owns it; make an offer. You might get a good deal this way - I had my eye on a pretty nice third of an acre plot which I agreed for under £15,000 (which is a steal). Unfortunately there was a couple of NIMBYs over the other side of a small copse (in huge houses I should say) who had me in mind as an eco warrior and, I guess, expected hippies, and drugs and whatever other stereotypes they could come up with. And so planning permission was looking like an expensive process.
What do I look for in land (it is a personal thing of course!). I want a small amount of woodland - or access to woodland next door. I'd like a hillside so I can sink a house successfully. South facing plot (for build purposes). Road access. I'd like it to have a running watercourse. High water table so I can sink a well (that is a minefield of health and safety btw). Enough space to run a septic drain. Enough wind/sun to provide power [in the long term]. Close enough to have mains in the short term.