Start by finding the right land record and gathering the papers you already have. Then compare useful sale prices, choose how you want to find a buyer and review the offer in writing. You can begin with what you know; keep a short list of questions to check before you commit.
Tell us about your land. There’s no obligation to accept an offer.
Start with what you know. These steps will help you get ready and choose the way to sell that fits you.
Write down your parcel number, acres and closest road. A parcel number identifies a piece of land in county records. If you want to sell several pieces together, list each one and note any house, barn or other building included.
The county’s Real Estate page links to property records and an interactive map. It says you can search records by owner name, property map number or street name. Use those tools to find the right piece and save the record.
If empty land has no street address, use the parcel number and nearby road. Do not make up an address. Keep a copy of any map you use, but ask about a survey if a boundary is unclear.
Start a folder with your tax bill, deed, any survey and any loan or access papers. A deed records a transfer of ownership. A survey is a measured drawing of land. You can ask a closing professional where to find missing documents.
Write down who is named on the deed and who else may have a share in the land. If the property came through a family estate, gather the papers you have and ask the closing team which documents and signatures are needed. It is okay to start with questions.
Tell the closing team about a loan, unpaid taxes, lease or record that does not match your papers. Ask for current balances and how they would be handled in the sale. Use our land seller document checklist to keep track.
Explain how you reach the land from the road. If the route crosses another property, gather any written agreement. An easement is a right to use someone else’s land for a stated purpose. Ask the closing team to review an unclear agreement.
For building, splitting or another planned use, start with Dinwiddie County Planning and Zoning. The office says it handles local zoning, subdivision and flood-protection rules. Zoning means rules about how land can be used; a subdivision is a division into smaller pieces.
Give the parcel number and describe the idea in plain words. Ask what applies now and which separate checks are needed. A county map, road frontage or a neighbor’s home does not settle every use question for your own land.
Note whether you know of a well, septic system or public service connection. Septic is a system that treats wastewater on the property when sewer is not used. A pipe or utility line nearby is not a confirmed connection or cost estimate.
The Virginia Department of Health’s water and wastewater page links to a septic and well records request. Ask for records for your parcel and keep any response with the date. If the land has no system, ask the local health office what would be needed to check a proposed site.
For an existing system, VDH’s real estate guidance explains why permits, inspections and other system papers matter. Ask a qualified professional to explain limits or open questions. Do not assume an old paper covers a new plan.
Ask a local land agent for recent completed sales with similar size, access, ground and known uses. Keep asking prices apart from completed sales. A house on acreage includes a building, so it is not automatically a bare-land comparison.
Check the full price, total acres and all parcels included in each deal. Ask why the sale fits and what important difference changes the comparison. A tax assessment is helpful background, but ask what supports an asking price today.
Before paying for clearing, a survey or site work, ask what the work would answer and whether it is likely to help your sale. Get costs in writing. There is no need to turn every question into a project before discussing your options.
You can list with an agent, find a buyer yourself or compare a direct offer. Think about your time, the work you want to handle and how each route reaches buyers.
If you would like Reelvest to review a direct sale, tell us about your land. Share what you know and what is still unclear. If we make an offer, you decide whether it fits.
Make sure the agreement covers the land you mean to sell. Ask who pays each cost, what debts come out of your payment, what the buyer still needs to check and when they can cancel. Ask who handles closing and who needs to sign.
Here is a made-up example: $70,000 minus $5,000 in seller costs leaves $65,000. An offer of $68,000 minus $1,000 leaves $67,000. Both are before loans, taxes or other debts. These are not Dinwiddie County prices or fee estimates.
Use our land offer comparison worksheet to keep the answers together. Before closing, request a written breakdown of the money you will receive and ask the closing team how the papers and payment will be handled. Keep copies of the signed agreement and closing papers. The Virginia land seller guide has more help with the process.
Start with the parcel number, acres if known and nearby road. Gather the papers you have and list what is missing. Ask an agent or closing professional which records matter next rather than guessing.
Start with the county’s Real Estate page. It links to property records and an interactive map. The page describes searches by owner name, property map number or street name.
Gather the deed and estate papers you have. Ask the closing team which documents and signatures are needed for this property. Raise the question early so you can plan the next steps with care.
You can compare an agent listing, finding a buyer yourself and a direct offer. Ask about costs, work, how buyers are reached and written terms. Choose the route that fits your needs.
Ask for a target date based on the buyer search, ownership papers and open checks. A planned date depends on the agreement and work still needed. Find out who handles each task before relying on the timing.
Local source links reviewed October 6, 2026.