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How to Sell Land in Virginia — A Step-by-Step Guide
Virginia land sales run through a patchwork of 95 counties plus 38 independent cities, each with its own tax dates, land-use program and zoning office. That makes the question of how to sell land in Virginia more local than most sellers expect. This guide sets out your options, compares them honestly, and walks the steps from title to closing — including the grantor’s tax and the roll-back trap on land-use parcels.
- Free, no-obligation guide
- Written for owners, not agents
- Virginia rules with statute cites
- Or skip it: offer within 24 hours
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Selling land in Virginia
Your four ways to sell land in Virginia
Almost every land sale goes one of four ways: list with a real estate agent, sell it yourself (FSBO), post it on an online land marketplace, or sell direct to a cash land buyer. None is always right. A listed tract can bring a higher gross price; a direct sale trades some of that for speed, certainty and no costs. Here is how they compare.
| Option | Typical cost | Typical timeline | Your effort | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Realtor / listing agent | Often 6–10% on land | Months, commonly | Moderate | Higher gross price if the tract is in demand and you can wait |
| For sale by owner (FSBO) | Your time, ads, attorney | Unpredictable | High | Sellers with a marketable tract and patience |
| Online land marketplace | Listing fees; some take a cut | Varies widely | Moderate–high | Rural acreage with good photos and access |
| Cash land buyer (like us) | None — buyer pays closing | As little as 14–30 days | Low | Speed, certainty, inherited or hard-to-sell land |
Costs and timelines are general ranges, not quotes; they vary by tract and market.
Step by step: how to sell land in Virginia
Step 1: Confirm what you own. Pull your deed and the county tax card. Check that the names on the deed match the people selling, the acreage and parcel number line up, and nothing like an old mortgage, judgment or right of way is sitting on record. If an owner has died, the estate or heirs have to be sorted before anyone can sign.
Step 2: Survey: needed, or not?. A survey settles where the lines really are. Some buyers insist on one, especially if they are borrowing; others buy on the existing legal description. Ask before spending money — the cost rises with acreage and rough ground, and you may not need it at all.
Step 3: Find out if it will perc. For any tract a buyer might build on, septic approval is the question that moves price most. In Virginia, the Virginia Department of Health issues the septic permit off a soil evaluation, and that evaluation often decides whether a tract is a buildable homesite or just land.
Step 4: Set a realistic price. Look at what comparable parcels actually sold for, then adjust for road frontage, power, slope, flood mapping and size. Asking prices on listing sites tell you what sellers hope for, not what buyers pay.
Step 5: Market it, or skip marketing. Listing means photos, a sign, land marketplace listings and fielding calls — for months, often, on rural land. Selling direct to a cash buyer skips this step entirely.
Step 6: Get it under contract properly. A real purchase agreement names the price, the deposit, how long the buyer has to inspect, what can cancel the deal and who pays which closing costs. Vague contracts are where land deals die.
Step 7: Close and record the deed. The closing attorney or title company searches title, prepares the deed, collects the money and records the deed. You sign, and the funds are wired to you.
Virginia costs, taxes and paperwork to know
In Virginia the grantor’s tax on the deed is 50 cents for every $500 of the sale price or value, and the burden sits on the seller (Va. Code §58.1-802). We build it into our numbers so the figure we quote you is the figure you work from.
Deeds are recorded with the county Circuit Court Clerk’s office. That office’s index is where any buyer’s title search starts, and it is free or cheap for you to look first.
Virginia property tax due dates are set locally — commonly June 5 and December 5 — and the Code allows a locality to sell land for delinquent taxes once they are still unpaid on December 31 following the second anniversary of the due date (Va. Code §58.1-3965).
If the tract sits in a locality’s land-use assessment program, a change to a non-qualifying use triggers roll-back taxes covering the five most recent complete tax years plus interest (Va. Code §58.1-3237). We check for it before quoting.
Virginia has independent cities that are not part of any county, so double-check which jurisdiction actually taxes your parcel and holds its deed book before you start ordering records. The Circuit Court Clerk for that county or city is where the chain of title lives.
Shenandoah Valley pasture, Northern Neck waterfront and Southside timber tracts each sell to a different buyer pool. Comparable sales from your own county — ideally the same road or watershed — matter far more than any statewide price per acre.
Where to go next in Virginia
If you would rather skip the listing process, our Virginia land buying page explains how we make a written cash offer within 24 hours and can close in as little as 14 to 30 days. We also have county-by-county pages, including Rockingham County, Shenandoah County, Isle of Wight County, Lancaster County, King William County, with local tax, deed and septic detail.
Whichever route you choose, get the title questions answered first. That single step decides how fast any sale can close.
Checklist before you sell Virginia land
Deed and parcel ID
A copy of the recorded deed and the tax parcel number.
Tax status
Whether taxes are current, and any use-value or deferral program.
Access
Road frontage or a recorded easement — landlocked land sells for less.
Utilities and septic
Power at the road, water source, and any perc or soil results.
Encumbrances
Mortgages, liens, leases, timber deeds or mineral reservations.
Decision-makers
Every owner on the deed, or the estate’s representative.
The fast alternative: selling Virginia land to us
Three steps, no obligation at any point, and no cost to you at any stage.
One call or one form
Tell us the address or APN and the rough size. You do not need a survey, a plat or the tax bill in front of you — we look all of that up.
We value it properly
We research the parcel ourselves, at our cost, before we quote. We price it off recent sales of similar acreage and adjust for access, soil, flood mapping, timber and shape. No cost to you, no commitment.
Written offer, your decision
You have our number in writing within 24 hours. If you take it, a licensed title company closes it and we cover the standard closing costs — typically 14 to 30 days.
Selling to us vs. listing it
Both are legitimate. Listing can bring a higher gross price if you have time, the tract is easy to finance and you can carry the taxes while it sits. Here is the honest comparison.
| Selling to Dreamify | Listing with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you are dealing with | A direct cash buyer — we are the ones purchasing | An agent marketing it to someone else |
| Commission | None | Typically 6–10% on land |
| Closing costs | We cover them | Usually split or seller-paid |
| Repairs, survey, clean-up | Not your problem | Often requested by retail buyers |
| Financing risk | None — cash | Land loans fall through often |
| Timeline | As little as 14 to 30 days once title work is back | Land can sit on the market for months |
Land we buy
Land we buy
- Vacant, raw and bare land
- Inherited and heir property, including multiple owners
- Land with back taxes or a delinquent tax bill
- Out-of-state and absentee-owned parcels
- Farm, timber and hunting acreage
- Small residential lots and infill parcels
- Landlocked tracts and parcels with access questions
- Land that failed a perc test
- Tracts tied up in an estate or probate
- Property you inherited and have never seen
- Mobile home parks and RV parks
- Self-storage facilities — considered case by case
What we don’t buy
- Houses and other residential buildings
- Land you do not have the authority to sell
- Parcels where a co-owner has not agreed to sell
- Property already under contract with someone else
If we are not the right buyer for your parcel we will say so on the first call rather than waste your time.
We buy with our own money — here is what we have closed
We are a principal buyer using our own capital, not a lead broker collecting details to sell on. A sample of tracts we have bought and closed:
| Tract | Where we closed it |
|---|---|
| 5.05 acres | Dawson County, Georgia |
| 32.3 acres | Perquimans County, North Carolina |
| 72 acres | Pike County, Mississippi |
| 10.7 acres | Morgan County, Georgia |
| 6.24 acres | Jasper County, Georgia |
| 8.5 acres | Pike County, Mississippi |
A sample of tracts we have bought and closed ourselves. We are a principal buyer, not a broker — every one of these was purchased with our own funds through a licensed closing agent.
What sellers say
Every quote below is a real, verified Google review of Dreamify Properties — 4.9 stars across 14 reviews.
“Great experience working with John. He made the selling process super easy. I didn’t have to do much — he took care of all the heavy lifting. Communication was excellent; he kept me in the loop the whole time, which eased my mind.”
“John was very communicative & professional. He did what he said he would do!”
Questions we get asked
What is the fastest way to sell land in Virginia?
Selling direct to a cash land buyer. There is no listing period and no financing contingency; we make a written offer within 24 hours and can close in as little as 14 to 30 days.
Who pays the grantor’s tax when selling land in Virginia?
The seller. Virginia’s grantor’s tax is 50 cents per $500 of value and sits on the grantor. When you sell to us we build it into the offer so there is no surprise.
Do I need a survey to sell my land?
Not always. Lenders and many retail buyers want one; cash buyers often buy on the existing legal description. Ask before you pay for one.
How do I know what my land is worth?
Use recent sold prices of similar tracts in the same county, adjusted for access, utilities, size and terrain. Assessed value is not market value on rural land.
Can I sell land with back taxes or a lien?
Yes. Taxes and liens are paid off from the sale proceeds at closing. They just need to be identified early.
Find out what your your Virginia land is worth to a cash buyer
Send the parcel details and we’ll research the property, answer your questions, and put a clear no-obligation offer in writing within 24 hours.