PRACTICE AREA

Real Estate

Overview

Our Real Estate team employs deep market insight, genuine innovation and commercial focus to deliver end-to-end support on significant schemes that shape our cities and communities. 

We are acutely aware that for developers, whether housebuilder, commercial, leisure or mixed-use, the disposal of the site – to another owner, or as finished housing plots or commercial units – is the key moment. Throughout the process, realisation of the investment and handover is our objective and our approach to land acquisition and secured finance for developers is based on preparing for eventual disposal. 

We are fluent in the language of “housebuilder”. Our teams feature senior practitioners with decades of experience in this specialist sector, using our cutting-edge technology to produce a smooth and efficient plot sales service. Our aim is to ensure that reaching the point of completion and realisation is as uncomplicated as possible and we are currently generating bespoke software to further enhance this area of services for developers. 

By understanding your objectives at the outset, we proactively steer real estate transactions and projects from feasibility to profitability. With our comprehensive understanding of investment risks and rewards, we provide valuable input and direction on project structures and development strategies. 

We handle the full range of real estate transactions and projects, including site set-ups, acquisitions and disposals, development and regeneration, joint ventures, leasing, construction and engineering, as well as the planning and environmental aspects. 

Whether you are a developer, landowner, landlord, tenant or investor, our multi-award-winning real estate specialists have an unparalleled reputation for realising opportunities, navigating the intricacies and getting deals done efficiently and effectively. 

Pricing

RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING

No property is exactly the same and our fees will reflect the particular requirements of your sale or purchase. For example, dealing with a leasehold listed building may, because of the added complexities, cost more than dealing with a recently constructed freehold property.

The below fees are fixed fees dependant on the property value.

Sale or Purchase – Freehold Properties

Property value £0-£500,000: From £1,750 to £3,500 plus VAT

Property value £500,001 – £1m: From £3,500 to £5,000 plus VAT

£1m plus: From £5,000 to £12,000 plus VAT

Sale or Purchase – Leasehold Properties

Property value £0-£500,000: From £2,500 to £5,000 plus VAT

Property value £500,001 – £1m: From £5,000 to £7,500 plus VAT

Property Value £1m plus: From £7,500 to £15,000 plus VAT

Remortgage – Freehold

Property value £0-£500,000: From £1,250 to £1,750 plus VAT

Property value £500,001 and over: From £1,750 to £1,950 plus VAT

Remortgage – Leasehold

Property value £0-£500,000: From £1,750 to £2,250 plus VAT

Property value £500,001 and over: From £2,250 to £2,450 plus VAT

The above fees are exclusive of VAT and disbursements.

Key stages on a purchase:

  • onboarding the client
  • receiving legal paperwork
  • reviewing legal paperwork and raising any requisite additional enquiries
  • undertaking all necessary searches
  • agreeing the purchase contract
  • sending a written report to the client with the contract for signature
  • asking the client to send us the deposit
  • exchanging contracts
  • raising requisitions on title and preparing the transfer deed for signature by the seller
  • preparing a completion statement for the client and requesting the requisite funds
  • dealing with completion
  • dealing with post-completion matters such as stamping at the Inland Revenue, registration at the Land Registry and registration with the Landlord in the case of a leasehold property

 

Key stages of a sale:

  • onboarding the client
  • sending Property Information Forms to the client for completion and signature
  • in the case of a leasehold sale obtaining ta Landlord’s Management Pack
  • preparing the contract, obtaining the title and lease ( in the case of a leasehold sale) and sending the legal paperwork to the buyer’s solicitors
  • dealing with any additional enquiries raised by the buyer’s solicitors
  • agreeing the contract and sending it to the client for signature
  • dealing with exchange of contracts
  • replying to Requisitions on Title
  • agreeing the Transfer Deed and sending this to the client for signature
  • dealing with completion and accounting to the client for the proceeds of sale

 

The timescale for a transaction is three months subject to both parties wanting to expedite the transaction more quickly.

Note that as residential conveyancing is not a core part of our business, we are not appointed to many of the residential banking panels which means we would be unable to represent them jointly with you on a purchase. The disbursements incurred should be minimal on a sale but on a purchase will include search costs of between £250 and £500 (plus VAT) together with SDLT/LTT (depending on whether the property is situated in England or Wales) and Land Registration fees in addition.

Both SDLT/LTT are based on the value of the property and also take account of existing property ownership and the purchasing entity. Land Registry fees are similarly linked to the value of the Property currently capped at £910 for purchases over one million pounds. We typically undertake 25 residential transactions a year excluding bulk sales and purchases undertaken on behalf of our commercial clients.

We have a range of highly experienced lawyers with an excess of ten years post qualification experience used to dealing with high-value commercial residential schemes who offer all necessary and appropriate to the junior lawyers who will typically manage the residential conveyancing file. Whilst a small percentage of Acuity’s legal services we are committed to providing the same high standards to which our commercial clients have become accustomed over many years.

All fees set out above are exclusive of VAT and disbursements. VAT is payable on all our fees at the prevailing standard rate, which is currently 20%.

Key Contacts

Senior Partner
Senior Partner

Work highlights

  • Advising a commercial property developer in connection with the former Brain’s Brewery site Cardiff known as Central Quay. There are several development plots within the site, with an overall development value, and the transaction for the waterfront residential scheme comprising the £120 million development of Plots 1 and 2 Central Quay to create approximately 700 new residential units, which vary from studios to three-bedroom penthouse apartments, has now been completed by long leasehold disposal to L&G 
  • Advising Principality Building Society in connection with its involvement in funding the development of the Mill, Cardiff, an ambitious £100 million residential-led urban regeneration project on the site of an old paper mill 
  • Acting for a UK-wide marina operator Boatfolk Marinas Limited in various acquisitions of commercial interests and management of its property portfolio 
  • Acting for Private Energy Partners (a Quinbrook affiliate) in its securing of exclusive development rights from renewable energy firm SIMEC Atlantis Energy to develop one of the largest battery storage systems in the UK. Acuity advised on the option agreement, lease, and associated documentation to locate the development on the former Uskmouth coal-fired power station site 
  • Acuity has worked closely with Eden Living, backed by Warwick Capital Partners, on the launch of an innovative private rented sector business focusing on the acquisition and subsequent letting of newly built housing in South Wales and the South West of England 
  • Acting for BVI-based funder Marshal European Investment Co I Sarl in connection with its funding of development sites in the UK  
  • Acting for Greenhill Investments (Vale) Limited, the owner and developer of a 50-acre industrial site, in its development of an industrial park, involving the sale of parcels of land to various developers and managing the funding structures and securities. 
  • Acting for Facilities by ADF in its acquisition of Location One Ltd, the UK’s largest supplier of location supplies to the Film & TV industry, involving the acquisition of the operating sites at Barking, Woking, Manchester, Bristol, Newport and Newcastle  

What our clients say

The one thing that separates Acuity Law from the other legal firms that we do business with is their open and proactive approach to contract drafting and the resolution of any issues that arise that require multi-party agreement.

Technically and commercially astute – understand that there are risks in many deals but that there are often ways of mitigating and minimising those risks to an acceptable level.

I have always found the staff to be very commercial and knowledgeable. They take time to listen and have a good understanding of the business and how we like to act

I have always found the staff to be very commercial and knowledgeable. They take time to listen and have a good understanding of the business and how we like to act

Awards

  • The Real Estate Team is ranked Band 1 by Chambers and Partners
  • The Commercial Property Team is ranked Tier 1 in the Legal 500
  • The Construction Team is ranked Band 2 by Chambers and Partners
  • The Construction Team is ranked Tier 2 in the Legal 500

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