The lots at a glance
All lots are freehold, vacant and sold by the council through Bond Wolfe. Sizes and guide prices below come from the auctioneer's lot pages, checked on 6 October 2026. The last column is our own arithmetic, not a valuation.
| Location | Size | Guide price | Guide £/sq m (calc.) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrace Road, Lozells B19 1BP | 1,657 sq m | £150,000+ | £91 | Listed, confirm * |
| Tameside Drive, Castle Vale B35 7AG | 1,423 sq m | £125,000+ | £88 | Listed (Lot 5) |
| Hazeldene Road, Sheldon B33 0QG | 967 sq m | £10,000+ | £10 | Listed (Lot 1) |
| Corner of Brearley St and Crocketts Rd, Handsworth B21 0JJ | 435 sq m | £10,000+ | £23 | Listed (Lot 2) |
| Rear of 41–45 Bowman Road, Great Barr B42 2RN | 89 sq m | £5,000+ | £56 | Listed (Lot 3) |
| Fronting Stevens Avenue, Bartley Green B32 3DR | 794 sq m | £50,000+ | £63 | Withdrawn (Lot 4) |
* The Terrace Road lot page carried a note saying it was not being offered but might appear in the October sale. The auctioneer's addendum, checked 6 October, lists only Stevens Avenue as withdrawn from this group. Confirm Terrace Road's status with Bond Wolfe before relying on it. Press coverage gave Hazeldene Road as 957 sq m; the lot page says 967 sq m, which we use.
The five live lots total about 4,571 sq m (roughly 1.13 acres) with combined guides of £300,000. The £/sq m column varies wildly because guide prices reflect each plot's shape, access and likely planning prospects, not just its size.
Lot by lot
Terrace Road, Lozells
An irregular parcel in an established residential area about two miles north-west of the city centre. The auctioneer says it may suit a variety of uses subject to planning. Irregular shapes can limit layouts, so a scaled site plan matters more here than on the rectangular plots. Check the status first (see the note above).
Tameside Drive, Castle Vale
Vacant freehold in a residential area near Fort Shopping Park and Erdington, with the A38 and M6 close by. The lot page names educational, community or residential use as possibilities, with no guarantee of consent. Rectangular plots are generally easier to plan around, which may be why this guide is at the upper end per sq m.
Land adjacent to 142a–154 Hazeldene Road, Sheldon
The lowest guide per sq m of the group, in an established area close to Sheldon centre and Stechford. A low guide is a flag to read the legal pack closely for anything that explains it, such as access, easements or services, rather than a sign of a bargain.
Corner of Brearley Street and Crocketts Road, Handsworth
A small corner plot. Corner sites can raise visibility and highway-sightline questions in any planning application, so check with the council's highways team as well as planning.
Land to the rear of 41–45 Bowman Road
A very small rear parcel. At 89 sq m it is unlikely to stand alone as a building plot, and its most obvious buyers are the neighbouring homeowners. The listing describes possible uses generally, so check what access it has before assuming anything.
Land fronting Stevens Avenue, Bartley Green
Shown as "Not being offered" in the auctioneer's addendum. Press coverage written before the withdrawal still described six lots. We will note if it returns to a later sale.
What it really costs
Guide prices exclude fees. On every lot we checked, the buyer pays two fixed charges on top of the price:
- Council's professional fees: £2,900.
- Auctioneer's administration fee: £3,500 plus VAT (£4,200 including VAT) on the council lots we checked. Bond Wolfe's standard fee is lower, but its terms say local authority lots can differ.
That is about £7,100 before stamp duty, legal costs, searches or any special conditions in the legal pack.
| If the price equals the guide of… | Fixed fees (est.) | Fees as % of price |
|---|---|---|
| £5,000 (Bowman Road) | £7,100 | 142% |
| £10,000 (Hazeldene, Brearley) | £7,100 | 71% |
| £125,000 (Tameside) | £7,100 | 6% |
| £150,000 (Terrace) | £7,100 | 5% |
Hall's Homes UK calculation from the lot pages (£2,900 + £3,500 × 1.2). Stamp duty, legal and search costs are excluded. Check each legal pack for additional special conditions.
Guide prices are only an indication of the reserve, and lots can sell far above them. In Bond Wolfe's September 2026 sale, a Northfield land plot sold for £162,000 against a £20,000+ guide, around eight times higher. Budget for competition, not the guide.
What to check before bidding
You exchange contracts when the hammer falls. There is no cooling-off period, and the auctioneer says it will not consider offers before or after the sale on these lots. Do the work first:
- Read the legal pack. It is free to download from each lot page and binds you once you win. Look at title, special conditions and any extra costs payable on completion.
- Planning: the particulars give no guarantee of consent. Speak to Birmingham City Council's planning department about what is realistic, and check planning history on neighbouring plots.
- Access and rights: the lots are sold subject to any rights of way, easements or covenants, mentioned or not. Confirm how you would physically reach the land.
- Services: the auctioneer says only that certain mains services are understood to be nearby. Ask utilities what connection would cost.
- Ground conditions and contamination: buyers must investigate these themselves. A desk-study report is cheap compared with a surprise.
- Boundaries: compare the plan with what you see on site. The plans are for identification only.
- Viewing: external viewings only. Go and look, ideally at different times of day.
- Get legal advice from a solicitor experienced in auction purchases before you register.
Paying for land at auction
Standard residential mortgages are generally not designed for vacant land, and you must pay a deposit and the administration fee straight after the hammer falls, with completion following under the sale terms. Buyers typically use cash, borrowing secured on another property, or specialist lenders. If you rely on borrowing, speak to a broker who handles auction and development finance before bidding. Our calculators cover residential mortgages and stamp duty only, so they will not model a land purchase.
To register you must pre-register by 3pm the day before (21 October) for proxy, telephone or online bidding. See Bond Wolfe's remote bidding page.
Why the council is selling, and the wider market
Birmingham City Council has been disposing of surplus property through Bond Wolfe auctions as part of its efforts to repair its finances. At the September 2026 sale, ten of eleven council lots sold, raising nearly £3 million, including three of four land plots. Across all vendors, Bond Wolfe sold 150 of 178 lots.
The wider picture is mixed. The Home Builders Federation reports that planning permission for new homes in England in the year to Q2 2026 was the lowest annual figure since 2013, while government figures show housing starts rising in the same quarter. Auction house Savills reports that lots sold under the hammer in the first half of 2026 achieved a notable premium over guide. Small urban plots like these sit at the cheaper end of that market, where competition between local builders, neighbours and investors can be intense.
Results (updated after the sale)
We will add sold prices, withdrawn lots and guide-versus-result comparisons after the auction.
| Location | Guide | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Terrace Road, Lozells | £150,000+ | Pending 22 Oct |
| Tameside Drive, Castle Vale | £125,000+ | Pending 22 Oct |
| Hazeldene Road, Sheldon | £10,000+ | Pending 22 Oct |
| Brearley St / Crocketts Rd, Handsworth | £10,000+ | Pending 22 Oct |
| Rear of 41–45 Bowman Road | £5,000+ | Pending 22 Oct |
Frequently asked questions
When is the auction?
8.30am on Thursday 22 October 2026, livestreamed by Bond Wolfe. Pre-register by 3pm the day before.
How many council land lots are there?
Press coverage said six, but the Stevens Avenue plot is shown as withdrawn in the auctioneer's addendum, leaving five as of 6 October 2026.
Can I get a mortgage on auction land?
Standard residential mortgages generally do not cover vacant land. Arrange funding before bidding, because contracts exchange when the hammer falls.
Does the guide price show the sale price?
No. It indicates the reserve. Lots often sell for far more, so budget accordingly.
Can I build on these plots?
Not without planning permission. The particulars give no guarantee that consent will be granted, so speak to the council's planning department before bidding.
Sources, transparency and review history
- Bond Wolfe lot pages for Hazeldene Road, Brearley Street, Bowman Road, Stevens Avenue and Tameside Drive, and the Terrace Road lot page (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Bond Wolfe addendum for the 22 October 2026 auction (accessed 6 October 2026)
- BirminghamWorld: land across West Midlands to go to auction (23 September 2026)
- Express & Star: Birmingham City Council raises nearly £3 million at auction (September 2026 results)
- PBC Today: planning permission for new homes at record low, HBF report
- MPA: England housing starts surge despite approvals slump
- Savills: Auctions Outlook and Review, Summer 2026
- Hall's Homes UK calculations: size conversions, £/sq m and fee percentages
Editorial independence: Hall's Homes UK is an independent property information service. We do not sell land, run auctions or receive commission from any lot, auctioneer or lender mentioned here.
Review history: v1.0, 6 October 2026: initial publication. Stevens Avenue noted as withdrawn; Terrace Road status flagged for confirmation. Next review: 23 October 2026 (results).