Not only owning your own home, but building it yourself is a dream for some determined people, however, there are many legal hurdles to overcome which require the services of an experienced solicitor who understands conveyancing for self-build.
The term self-build can also apply to purchasers who don't necessarily want to get their own hands dirty but who want to put a personal stamp on their new home by organising all the physical aspects.
Plots of land for residential property are as varied as the people who want to buy them and each individual area will need to be approved for building on by the local authority planning department as the first stage.
Unless a number of self-builders are acting together to buy a large piece of land and have jointly organised expert professional help from surveyors, planners and architects, further advice may be needed to ensure the best chance of success in the initial application.
It is possible to buy building plots which already have permission for one or more homes on the land but if the self-builder wants to considerably change the plot layout which was originally agreed, consultations should be made with the relevant authority.
Once outline planning permission has been agreed, a property lawyer will need to check the land belongs to the person or company selling it and conduct the usual pre-sale searches for potential difficulties over aspects such as rights of way, boundaries and future development in the area.
Conveyancing solicitor can foresee problems
This is one of the most important areas in which a conveyancing solicitor's skills and experience are required in foreseeing problems.
Access to the land from the nearest road may be across someone else's property, a so-called ransom strip, and this person could force the new owner to pay heavily for the privilege of crossing their land or demand an above-market rate to pay for it.
The cost, convenience and legal obligations of installing services, such as electricity and telephone, can also be considered by a conveyancing solicitor before the purchase goes ahead. If the self-building purchaser is satisfied with these arrangements, the solicitor must then arrange for the local authority to allocate an official description of the plot and this will be registered with the Land Registry when the contract is signed and the sale goes through.
New deeds will be issued and at this point building can begin. If a self-build mortgage has been arranged to pay for the work this is usually released in staged amounts, depending on the progress of the construction, and the conveyancing solicitor will stay in regular contact with the purchaser to ensure funds are made available in a timely and efficient manner.
Conveyancing for self-build with Healys solicitors of London and Brighton
Whether you want to self-build a home in London, Brighton or elsewhere in the UK, our team of residential conveyancing solicitors can help you achieve your dream home.
Although the procedure with buying your own land can be a little more complicated than a standard conveyancing transaction, Healys has the expertise and, thanks to its links with other professionals, as well as the skills across its general legal practice, the ability to advise and give practical assistance.
For more information and advice on costs of Healys' conveyancing services, you can request a call-back via the website, email partner Kiri Kkoshi, telephone 020 7822 4148 or associate solicitor Darina Gowen telephone 01273 669 115.
