Conveyancing for Property Developers

If you are a builder or developer and are looking to sell a property you have built, the expert solicitors at JMW can carry out all of the necessary conveyancing work. We have years of experience providing conveyancing services to both builders and developers, including in bulk plot sales. With a thorough knowledge of the new build conveyancing process from the perspectives of both the buyer and the seller, our property development solicitors can keep the process moving and help you to get the most from your development project.

JMW's specialist team of property development conveyancing solicitors has expertise across a range of government and lender-backed purchaser schemes, including deep knowledge of schemes like Shared Equity and Help to Buy. This means that we can support you, whatever the circumstances of your buyers, and offer legal support at all stages of the process.

Speak to our dedicated team of property lawyers today to find out more about how we can help you to sell your development quickly, efficiently and with minimum fuss. Simply call us on 0345 872 6666 or complete our online enquiry form and a member of the team will give you a call back at a convenient time.

How JMW Can Help

JMW's specialist residential real estate solicitors have years of experience advising builders and developers throughout the conveyancing process. From the legal work involved before you buy the land, through planning, construction, sales, and estate management, we can offer the services you need to make the most of your development project. We will advise on complex contracts, represent you in disputes, advise on interactions with the National House Building Council and Local Authority Building Control, and continue to offer legal support long after you exchange contracts.

Thanks to our property development team's understanding of building regulations, infrastructure agreements and risk management, companies and individual developers can benefit from thorough due diligence. We will make you aware of any potential pitfalls or legal issues related to either sale of properties that have been developed or bought on a bespoke plot sale basis. Whether you are selling an existing property or a new build, conveyancing solicitors from JMW can advise on the specific requirements of the conveyancing process to keep your sale progressing smoothly.

Accredited by the Law Society for conveyancing quality, JMW's residential property development solicitors offer home builders fast, commercial legal advice based on their specific needs, and carry out thorough due diligence to identify and address potential risks. It is vital to work with a conveyancer experienced in the specific requirements of new build properties, and our legal team can offer everything you need to achieve your business goals.

Meet Our Team

JMW’s team offers expert advice and support for individuals dealing with legal matters involving builders and developers, helping you resolve disputes and protect your property interests.

Our Services During the Conveyancing Process

Conveyancing for builders and developers involves more than transferring ownership to a buyer or liaising with a mortgage lender, as in typical residential conveyancing. From initial contract negotiations and planning permission through to the exchange of contracts with a buyer, there are several key roles your solicitor can play. The expertise of a conveyancing specialist is vital, especially as builders and developers tend to deal in bulk plot sales and cannot rely on the typical strategies involved in selling a pre-owned home.

JMW's residential property development solicitors offer a range of key services for companies building and selling property, from initial land acquisition through to the exchange of contracts, and beyond. We can offer the following key services throughout the conveyancing process:

Site acquisition and due diligence

Before buying a site, developers need legal support to check whether the land is suitable, saleable and commercially safe to acquire. This includes site acquisition conveyancing, title due diligence and a full review of the legal title. Our solicitors will check ownership, boundaries, access rights, easements, restrictive covenants, promotion agreements, third-party rights and any other matters that could restrict development or reduce the value of the site.

Searches and enquiries are also important at the pre-acquisition stage. We may conduct local authority searches, drainage and water, highways, environmental, utilities, flood, planning and infrastructure searches to identify risks. These may include a lack of adopted highway access, drainage issues, contamination, planning restrictions, unpaid infrastructure obligations or third-party rights over the land.

Development agreements and building contracts

Planning and pre-construction legal advice is often key to a developer's success, and involves reviewing planning permissions, planning conditions, reserved matters, expiry dates and implementation requirements. For many sites, the key issue is not only whether the developer can buy the land, but whether they can lawfully build on it and sell the completed units with the required access and services connected.

If you need advice during the construction phase, we can offer support on:

• Building contracts
• Design-and-build agreements
• Professional appointments
• Collateral warranties
• Third-party rights
• Performance bonds
• Parent company guarantees
• Insurance and payment obligations

Our lawyers also assist with construction disputes, defects claims, adjudication, payment notices and contractor disagreements where necessary. We will work to resolve matters amicably, without any risk to business relationships where possible.

Planning and Section 106 agreements

If you need assistance with Section 106 agreements, JMW can help. A Section 106 agreement under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is a legally binding commitment to undertake extra works related to a development, often to support transport, environmental improvements or mitigation, or contribute to affordable housing as part of your planning permission.

Our experts can review the agreement to determine how it may affect the cost, timing, viability and saleability of a project, and advise on any triggers requiring payments or works before development starts, before occupation, before a certain number of homes are sold, or at other stages. In this way, we can help you to comply with any obligations regarding affordable housing, education, highway and transport improvements, public open space, healthcare contributions, drainage, biodiversity measures, or community facilities.

We can also help you to deal with the following:

• The Community Infrastructure Levy
• Highways agreements
• Drainage and sewer adoption agreements
• Utility easements
• Wayleaves
• Environmental obligations
• Biodiversity requirements

Our tailored advice can help you to comply with requirements, connect utilities to your property, and minimise legal costs by preventing disputes or other concerns from arising later.

Freehold and leasehold estate management schemes

JMW’s solicitors can set up estate management schemes for shared parts of a development or estate, whether that includes private roads, lighting, drainage systems, or communal spaces. We can draft the legal structure for the estate and any necessary management company documents, to ensure each owner has the right to use shared areas, is legally required to contribute to maintenance costs, and understands their responsibilities.

Our services include preparing freehold transfers, leases, estate rentcharge arrangements, service charge provisions and standard plot sale packs alongside these documents. We will also make sure that the estate management scheme is clear, enforceable and acceptable to buyers’ mortgage lenders to reduce the risk of disputes that could lead to delays in plot sales or problems after completion.

Legal structures

When property developers and builders need support with corporate structuring like joint ventures, shareholder agreements, tax-related property issues or commercial leases, our experts can draft the necessary documents. For larger projects that require advice on building safety, fire safety, regulatory compliance and health and safety duties, we can perform risk assessments and help you to maintain compliance.

If the buyer chooses their own conveyancing solicitor, we will also liaise with them throughout the process as the completion date approaches. We understand that the timing and processes differ significantly between this type of conveyancing and that involving the purchase of a pre-owned property, and we will adjust our approach to meet your specific needs.