The LVA Method

Every land appraisal contains hidden value. We find it.

The Problem

Land appraisals across the UK are leaving
value on the table. Systematically.

Residential land appraisals are built on assumptions — density, mix, phasing, infrastructure costs, sales rates. Each assumption is a lever. In practice, most appraisals are never stress-tested. The variables are accepted, not optimised.

Across an industry transacting billions annually, the cumulative value left unrealised is staggering.

97%
of land appraisals are never independently audited for optimisation
12–18%
typical value uplift identified when appraisal variables are properly optimised
12
Twelve sequential steps in the LVA Method — from document ingestion to quality-assured client report

The Science

Constrained optimisation, applied to land.

The LVA Method treats a land appraisal as what it truly is: a multi-variable optimisation problem with real-world constraints. Planning policy, market conditions, build costs, infrastructure requirements — these are not fixed inputs. They are boundary conditions within which an optimal solution exists.

The method follows a rigorous 12-step sequential process: document ingestion, net developable area calculation, technical constraints and opportunities mapping, planning policy review, market research and pricing, baseline viability modelling, value lever analysis, optimised scheme construction, report assembly, interactive presentation, structured client delivery, and quality assurance.

Each step builds on the last. Every variable is tested for sensitivity. Every assumption is evidenced and sourced. Multi-variable optimisation identifies the configuration that maximises value within planning and market constraints. The result is a complete, internally consistent appraisal where every lever has been identified, quantified, and ranked by impact.

The result is not a single number. It is a complete, internally consistent appraisal where every variable has been tested, adjusted, and proven to sit at its optimal point.

variables → value → standard optimised optimal

The Origin

Thirty years in the making.

Mark Hewett has spent three decades in UK residential land — acquiring, appraising, and negotiating sites from 50 to 5,000 units. As Land Director at Taylor Woodrow, he oversaw a strategic land portfolio measured in billions.

"Spread some magic dust on it."

That was the brief from a Land Manager, handed an appraisal that didn't quite work. The instinct to find value where others couldn't became a discipline. The discipline became a methodology. The methodology, refined across hundreds of sites and decades of market cycles, became twelve steps. The steps became the LVA Method.

Today, as CEO of Intelligent Land, Mark applies the same rigour — now encoded in mathematics — to every appraisal the firm touches.

Mark Hewett · CEO, Intelligent Land

The Proof

Value identified. Value quantified.

A 270-unit consented scheme in southern England. Standard appraisal methodology applied by a reputable consultancy. Assumptions accepted at face value. Then, the LVA Method applied to the same site, the same planning framework, the same market conditions.

Standard Appraisal

Gross Development Value£42.8m
Units270
Density34 dph
Avg. Revenue / Unit£158k
Residual Land Value£4.1m

LVA-Optimised Appraisal

Gross Development Value£41.2m
Units248
Density31 dph
Avg. Revenue / Unit£166k
Residual Land Value£11.5m
+£7.4m Land Value
Additional residual land value identified. Fewer units. Lower GDV. Higher land value. That is the point.
Standard
£4.1m RLV
Optimised
£11.5m RLV

Commission an LVA.

Available on a per-project basis or as an annual subscription. Every engagement includes a full report pack, interactive presentation, and viability workbook.

Commission an LVA