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New-build purchases move to a developer’s timetable, not a normal resale timetable. RG Law helps you understand the legal pack, the development and the obligations attached to your new home while keeping the exchange deadline firmly in view.
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On this page: What it is | How we help | Process | Costs | Timescales | FAQs | Why RG Law
Why new build conveyancing is different
A new-build purchase often starts with a reservation agreement and a short period in which the developer expects contracts to be exchanged. The property may still be under construction, the final postal address may not yet exist and the title can contain estate-management arrangements, rights, restrictions and service-charge obligations that do not arise in the same way on a standard freehold purchase. Your conveyancer therefore needs to review not only the contract and title, but also the development documentation, planning position, new-home warranty, roads and sewers information, management arrangements and any incentives agreed with the developer. RG Law works with buyers, developers, estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders to keep the legal work moving while making sure speed does not replace proper legal review.
What RG Law checks on a new build purchase
• The developer’s contract and title documents • Planning permissions and relevant development documentation • New-home warranty or equivalent cover • Rights of access, parking and use of shared areas • Estate-management or service-charge arrangements • Adoption or maintenance arrangements for roads and sewers • Restrictions affecting alterations, letting or use • Mortgage-lender requirements • Developer incentives and gifted deposits where relevant • Completion arrangements if the property is not yet finished
Reserved a plot?
The earlier your conveyancer receives the reservation information and legal pack, the more time there is to deal with the developer’s exchange deadline without compressing the legal review unnecessarily.
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How the new build process usually works
1. You reserve the property and pay any reservation fee. 2. You instruct RG Law and provide the reservation details. 3. The developer’s solicitor issues the contract pack. 4. We review the legal documents, development information and title. 5. Enquiries are raised and your mortgage offer is checked. 6. We report to you on the contract and key legal obligations. 7. Contracts are exchanged, often before the property is physically complete. 8. The developer serves notice when the property is ready, where the contract provides for completion on notice. 9. Completion takes place and the post-completion registration is dealt with. The important point is that you may become legally committed before the home is finished. You therefore need to understand what the contract allows the developer to do, what happens if completion is delayed and what obligations will apply once you own the property.
New build conveyancing costs
New-build legal work can involve a larger document pack and additional title or development checks. Your quotation should make clear whether any new-build supplement or additional work is included. There may also be costs outside the legal fee, including searches, Land Registry fees, Stamp Duty Land Tax and lender-related work. If you are receiving incentives from the developer, those may need to be reported to your mortgage lender and considered as part of the transaction.
The 28-day exchange target
Many developers work to a 28-day exchange target following reservation. That does not mean every transaction can or should exchange in exactly 28 days; mortgage offers, searches, enquiries or legal issues can affect the timetable. The best way to protect the timetable is to instruct early, provide requested documents promptly, progress the mortgage application at the same time and make sure your conveyancer knows about any developer deadline from day one.
Questions worth asking before you exchange
What are the service charges or estate-management fees? Who will maintain the roads and communal areas? Are there restrictions on extensions, alterations, parking, pets or letting? Is the property being sold with allocated parking, a garage or storage area? What warranty is provided? What happens if construction is delayed? Are there any developer incentives that must be disclosed to the lender? These questions are not designed to make a new build sound complicated. They are designed to make sure you understand the legal package you are buying, not only the show home you viewed.
New build conveyancing FAQs
Q: Why do developers want exchange so quickly? A: A short exchange timetable gives the developer greater certainty that reserved plots will proceed. Your conveyancer still needs enough time to complete the necessary legal checks. Q: Can I exchange before the property is built? A: Yes. Many new-build contracts are exchanged while construction is ongoing, with completion taking place later when the property is ready. Q: What is completion on notice? A: Instead of fixing a completion date at exchange, the developer may serve notice once the property is ready, triggering the contractual completion period. Q: Do I need a survey on a new build? A: A legal review is different from a survey or snagging inspection. You may wish to obtain appropriate survey or snagging advice separately. Q: What if my mortgage offer expires before completion? A: This can happen on long-stop new-build transactions. Speak to your mortgage adviser and conveyancer early so the position can be managed.
Why use a conveyancer experienced in new builds?
New-build transactions are document-heavy and deadline-driven. Familiarity with developer contracts, estate-management structures, warranties and completion-on-notice provisions can make the process easier to manage. RG Law’s aim is to keep the transaction commercially realistic — meeting deadlines where possible — while making sure you understand the rights, restrictions and financial obligations attached to your new home.
Buying a new build?
Tell RG Law the development, reservation date and developer exchange deadline when you request your quote. That gives the team the context they need from the outset.
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