Residential Development

If you are developing land, whether you are purchasing it or already hold land that is being developed, getting the early decisions right matters, since mistakes at this stage tend to be expensive ones to fix later.

Our property development solicitors advise both developers and landowners on land purchase terms, including whether a fixed price or a price linked to the planning permission eventually granted works best for your project, and what each option means in practice. We can assist in drawing up Option Agreements either for you as the developer or as the landowner. Whether you are new to development or manage a regular pipeline of sites, we take the stress out of negotiating the contracts and agreements behind it, so you can focus on the project itself rather than the paperwork around it. Every site is different, and the issues that come up on one development rarely map exactly onto the next, so early advice tailored to your particular site tends to pay off.

Planning permission

Having the right documentation in place for your development is one part of the job. Making sure it is then complied with, and keeping the paperwork ready for when you come to sell, matters just as much and is often where developers come unstuck. As land development solicitors, we help you understand your responsibilities from the outset, since knowing what is expected of you early tends to save both time and expense later in the project. Permission often comes with conditions attached, and missing one further down the line can hold up a sale or a later phase of the project, so keeping track of what has and has not been discharged matters throughout, not just at the outset.

Untangling the red tape

A land purchase for development sometimes comes with its own mortgage or security arrangements to sort out alongside the planning side. Where that applies, our commercial property finance team works on it in parallel, so the two strands of advice stay joined up.