New Build Conveyancing: Common Pitfalls, Developer Tactics and How to Protect Your Client

New build conveyancing can be time-consuming, document-heavy and risky for the conveyancer.

Unlike a standard residential purchase, the conveyancer is often dealing with a large contract pack, planning documentation, estate management arrangements, title issues, roads and sewers, section 106 obligations, Community Infrastructure Levy payments, tight exchange deadlines and a developer who may be unwilling to negotiate.

At the same time, the client may be under pressure to exchange quickly, may not understand the risks, and may assume that because the property is new, the transaction must be straightforward.

It is not.

This practical 2-hour online course is designed to help conveyancers manage the particular risks of new build work, identify common pitfalls, respond to developer tactics, and report clearly and comprehensively to the client.

The session will focus on the practical steps conveyancers can take to protect both their clients and themselves when dealing with new build purchases.

Delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions in this live and interactive session.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

• Residential conveyancers
• Property solicitors
• Licensed conveyancers
• Paralegals and fee earners handling new build files
• Conveyancing team leaders and supervisors
• Risk and compliance managers in conveyancing firms

The course will be particularly useful for practitioners who already undertake new build conveyancing and want a more structured approach to risk, reporting and dealing with developer pressure.

Course Programme

The session will cover:
· What should the contract pack include?
· What about the exchange deadline?
· How to approach planning enquiries
· What searches should be done?
· Managing section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy payments – how to protect the client
· What are the new build Codes of Practice and do they help?
· What if the developer will not agree to amend the documents?

What You Will Learn

By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:

• Understand why new build conveyancing carries particular risks for conveyancers
• Identify what should be included in a proper new build contract pack
• Recognise missing or inadequate documentation at an early stage
• Respond more confidently to unrealistic developer exchange deadlines
• Understand the key planning, roads, sewers and infrastructure issues that need to be investigated
• Identify appropriate searches and enquiries for new build transactions
• Understand the implications of section 106 agreements and Community Infrastructure Levy payments
• Explain new build risks more clearly to clients
• Deal with developer refusals to amend standard documentation
• Recognise when a client should be warned expressly about proceeding despite unresolved issues
• Improve file notes, reporting and risk management in new build matters

Price and Booking Details

The price is £199 + VAT for the first delegate.

This is a per organisation price, so up to 10 colleagues from the same organisation can participate at no extra charge, even if they are viewing from different locations or at different times.

So, if 11 people from your organisation attend or watch the recording, the cost per delegate is just £18.09 + VAT.

For firms with four or fewer partners, a single place is available for £99 + VAT. This is for one delegate place only, with no additional free places.

To book a place on the course, please click on the booking button at the top right of the page.

If you do not yet know all the names of your delegates, you can still book for those you know and add additional free delegates later. All free delegates must be registered in order to receive joining instructions.

Why This Course Matters

New build conveyancing is often treated by clients as a straightforward purchase of a brand-new property. For conveyancers, however, it can be one of the most demanding areas of residential conveyancing.

The combination of tight deadlines, extensive documentation, developer pressure and client expectations creates real risk.

This course will help conveyancers approach new build files in a more structured and confident way, identify the issues that matter, and protect clients from hidden liabilities while also protecting themselves from avoidable claims and complaints.

Live Online Course and Recording

This course will be streamed live, direct to your desktop, tablet or smartphone, so you can watch it from your office or home, wherever you are in the world.

You can participate in the course live or watch the recorded version afterwards at a time that suits you. In either case, all delegates will receive access to the complete recording after the event.

Presenter

The course will be presented by Lorraine Richardson.

Lorraine qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and has since had a wide and varied career as a property solicitor in private practice and as a legal trainer. She combines these two areas of experience to provide training that is clear, practical and directly relevant to conveyancers.

Lorraine has written and delivered courses on residential conveyancing, presentation skills, the SRA Code of Conduct, anti-money laundering, compliance, property issues for family lawyers and cybercrime.

Important Notes About Booking

1. Payment can be made by credit or debit card, or alternatively by invoice. The option to pay by invoice appears below the pay-by-card option in the booking form.
2. If you do not yet have the complete list of who will be attending, you can book for those you know will attend and add the others later.
3. Please ensure that colleagues’ email addresses are entered correctly when booking, as errors may mean they do not receive joining instructions.

The Legal Training Consultancy

The Legal Training Consultancy is a full-service training consultancy with a large portfolio of conferences, courses and trainers.

Over the years, we have been responsible for putting together a vast number of law and management-related conferences, webinars, seminars, videos and e-learning modules — altogether over 2,200.

The Legal Training Consultancy provides practical, specialist online training for lawyers and other professionals, delivered by experienced experts and designed to help delegates apply the law confidently in practice.