New Build Conveyancing Solicitor: What Buyers Need to Know

Buying a new build involves many of the same legal steps as an older property, but the contract, deadlines and development paperwork can be different.

Do you need a specialist new build solicitor?

You do not necessarily need a firm that only handles new builds, but your conveyancer should be experienced with developer contracts, plot plans, warranties, incentives and estate arrangements.

What should you ask before instructing them?

• How many new-build purchases do you handle?

• Are you on my mortgage lender's panel?

• Have you dealt with this developer before?

• What is included in your fee?

• How quickly can you review the contract pack?

• Who will actually handle my case?

Why timing matters

Developers can set tight exchange targets after reservation, so your conveyancer needs to understand the deadline from the start. Read our new build exchange of contracts guide before you commit.

Tell them about incentives

Make sure your solicitor and mortgage adviser know about deposit contributions, flooring packages, legal-fee contributions or other incentives. These can be relevant to the lender as well as the legal paperwork.

Research the developer too

Conveyancing protects the legal side of the purchase. You should still compare the housebuilder using our developer profiles and UK new build developer rankings.

The bottom line

Choose a conveyancer who understands new builds, is accepted by your lender and has enough time to properly review the transaction before exchange.