PLOTS: PUTTING TOGETHER AN ASSESSMENT TEAM
Self-build expert Mark Stevenson details what to look for when instructing others
Once you’ve found a potential building plot, the next step is to make sure its right for you. To do this you’ll need to appraise it, weigh up its pros and cons and make sure that it will support what you want to build. Appraising a plot is more complicated than just deciding whether or not you’d like to live there. It involves making sure that the plot can be developed, and that when the design is approved it will be something you will want to build.
Don’t forget, all land has had a prior life, so there’s every chance you’ll run into a couple of pitfalls when you come to develop your new plot. It’s therefore critical that you get a good idea of all the construction costs you’ll be facing so that you can be confident there are no nasty surprises waiting to bust your budget.
To appraise a building plot properly and get a good idea of what you’re taking on, you’ll need the support of a team of professionals who between them will provide the skills and knowledge necessary to keep you on the right track. This article will discuss each of the essential professionals you may need to employ and explains why you should put together this indispensable team of building buddies sooner rather than later.
Planning professional
Where planning permission is required or needs to be changed, a competent planner is analogous to a good lawyer — you’d never think about representing yourself in court, and you shouldn’t try to win planning consent without the proper professional help either.
Planning legislation is a minefield of complexity that requires experience and expertise to navigate. Planners are skilled at interpreting the rules as they will apply to your project, but their value extends beyond their specialist knowledge; their objectivity and impartial judgement are also a boon when it comes to keeping your proposals grounded and giving them the best possible chance of success.
Unfortunately, the planning system does not require applicants to be professionally qualified, and as a result you’ll find some people ‘having a go’ and unsurprisingly falling at the first hurdle. It’s a shame,
because finding a good planner can be as easy as visiting the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) website and using their search box to find a member near you. Alternatively, if you’re looking for convenience, you could work with a design practice or package company who have their own in-house planner and therefore offer a straightforward route to professionally informed, low-cost advice.
Building designer
When considering a building plot, one of the first dilemmas you’ll face is figuring out what design the plot will support. Your planner’s input will steer you in the right direction, but bringing the design to life will require the services of a skilled building designer.
A building designer can be an architect, an architectural technician or a designer. As long as they possess the appropriate skills to design your home, my advice is to work with whoever gives you a gutfeeling of confidence, understands your budget and has a track record of success developing designs similar to the one you envision building.
The best building designers offer far more than drawing skills; they can create inspirational architecture while balancing planning restrictions, budget limitations and their clients’ needs and preferences. When choosing a designer don’t get drawn in by their ego, their snappy dress sense or their reassuringly expensive fees. Your priority is to work with someone who will listen to you and understands the limits (including your budget) they will be working within. It’s also a good idea to make sure they’re familiar with the construction system you want to use.
Engineer
Planning permission aside, the biggest bear traps you’ll find when buying land are those surrounding ground conditions, access, services connections and flood risk. These should therefore be at the top of your list of things to check. Any issues you identify will require a structural engineer to solve, so it’s a good idea to have one on your team from the outset.
While structural engineers are a key appointment, you’ll often find them working as secondary consultants within design practices and package companies, or alongside your planning professional. For that reason, finding one shouldn’t be too troublesome.
Before committing to buy your plot, you should commission an engineer to carry out a detailed site investigation. This commonly involves digging a few trial holes to check the ground conditions but if you ask them, they’ll also check the drainage connection, suitability of the access and whether there’s any risk of flooding that must be mitigated.while a thorough investigation will cost of few thousand pounds, having one before you buy could save you a small fortune, especially if there’s a budget-busting problem waiting to be found. Fortunately, most problems are solvable with the question of how much it’ll cost. My advice is to always qualify your bid as subject to an engineer’s investigation to provide wriggle room so you don’t get left carrying the can.
Conveyancing solicitor
People are usually aware that they need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor when they buy a house, but while house purchases carry a chance of legal complications, such issues are actually quite rare, meaning that in most cases the conveyancer is just there to manage the sales process.when it comes to purchasing a building plot, however, the legal risks can be much more significant, making the role of a conveyancing solicitor, ideally with prior experience of dealing with plot transactions, even more vital.
Common areas where legal problems arise include rights of access, ransom strips, restrictive covenants, overages and boundary disputes. I’ll explain these
Your priority is to work with someone who will listen to you and understands the limits they will be working within
in a later article, but for the time being, you can allow yourself to be reassured that they’ll all be dealt with by your conveyancing solicitor.
Finding a good conveyancer shouldn’t be too hard; they’re typically available on every high street. However, remember to ask if they’ve got experience dealing with land and ideally appoint a specialist in this field.
Valuer
One of the trickiest roles to fill is that of the valuer, although I’m sure any Rics-qualified valuers who read this article will disagree with me on this. My experience has been this: there are lots of valuers around, but there’s a tendency for them to specialise in particular fields such as large-scale developments or house valuations. Finding a valuer who can understand what a plot will support as well as being able to think like a developer and factor in the ‘true’ cost of development, is a challenge.
To solve the plot valuation problem, you’re likely to need a few individuals to plug the gaps. An accurate plot valuation is worked out by subtracting the development costs (build costs and acquisition fees) from the end value of finished home you want to build. (You can calculate your basic build costs by using our free online tool: www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/ calculator.) This is what’s known as a ‘residual plot valuation’. Once you’ve got a solid concept of what you want to build, an estate agent will be able to give you a good idea of what it’ll be worth once it’s finished. To work out build costs advice from a project manager, quantity surveyor, package company or builder could prove invaluable. Acquisition costs will be confirmed by your conveyancing solicitor.
When it comes to buying a plot, timing is everything.the best chance of success will be enjoyed by those who are quickest off the mark. Delay putting your line-up together and you could be leaving the door open for delays right when others are jumping in to bid. This could mean losing plots to people who are better prepared and offer more certainty that a sale will be concluded. My advice, therefore, is not to wait until you’ve found a plot to start building your team.
NEXT MONTH:
The plot buying process explained