Algorithm vs. Intuition
How Data-Driven Design Added £3.88M to a Housing Scheme
The Challenge
“Our outline application is progressing, but how do we know we’re maximising the site’s potential?”
This question came from a landowner pursuing an outline application with the assumption that venture housebuilders would eventually work out the optimum value configuration. Housing layouts are complex and time-consuming to optimise, so they often get the “good enough” treatment rather than the attention they deserve.
The result? Leaving millions in potential value unrealised.
The landowner was concerned that the standard approach—securing outline permission with basic parameters and letting future purchasers determine the details—might be leaving significant value on the table. But without specialised expertise, how could they identify and capture that value?
The Solution
We took the hassle out of this process by applying our algorithms to analyse market supply and demand trends, predicting strong market demand for specific configurations.
Rather than relying on intuition or “the way we’ve always done it,” we let data drive the design process, optimising the scheme within parameters that would both maximise value and maintain planning compliance.
Our approach involved:
Market Gap Analysis
Identifying underserved market segments with strong demand and limited supply
Value-Driven Layout Optimisation
Reconfiguring the masterplan to prioritise highest-value plots and unit types
Specification Targeting
Identifying specific home features with disproportionate value impact
Phasing Strategy Development
Creating a phasing plan that prioritised cash flow and market absorption
The Results
The landowner was initially sceptical: “How can your approach be so much better than what experienced developers would do?”
The answer lies in our data-driven methodology. While developers rely primarily on experience and intuition, the LVA Method™ combines market intelligence with proprietary algorithms to identify optimal configurations that others miss.
Our approach delivered remarkable results:
The Takeaway
“Your gut feeling is valuable. Your gut feeling backed by algorithms is invaluable.”
This case study demonstrates the power of data-driven design in land value optimisation. By applying sophisticated market analysis and proprietary algorithms to the outline application process, we identified value enhancement opportunities that traditional approaches would have missed.
As the landowner commented after seeing the results, “In the battle between ‘we think this will sell well’ and ‘our data shows this will sell well,’ the latter wins every time—and the difference is measured in millions.”
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