Permitted Development: Conversions & Change of Use

Legal due diligence is the backbone of every development finance transaction. This guide explains what solicitors investigate, common issues that delay completions, and how to prepare your legal pack.

The facility agreement is the most important document in your development finance transaction. This guide breaks down the key clauses, explains what they mean in practice, and highlights the terms you should negotiate.

A guide to the tax and legal structure of a development SPV, covering how to set up the company and its shareholdings, how profits are taxed and extracted, joint venture structures and closing the company down after the scheme.

A guide to how the type of planning consent changes what development lenders will fund, covering outline and full permission, reserved matters, resolutions to grant and pre-commencement conditions.

Land Registry records underpin every development finance transaction. This guide explains how title registration works, what lenders check, common title issues that cause delays, and how to resolve them before they become problems.

Your choice of building contract directly affects your development finance application. This guide compares the main JCT contract forms, explains what lenders look for, and helps you choose the right contract for your project.

Building regulations compliance is a non-negotiable requirement for development finance lenders. This guide explains what building regulations cover, how compliance is demonstrated, and the consequences of non-compliance for your loan.

Environmental contamination can derail a development finance application. This guide explains what environmental searches reveal, when further investigation is needed, how remediation costs affect your deal, and what lenders require.

Party wall issues can delay your development finance drawdown by months. This guide explains the Party Wall Act 1996, when agreements are required, the surveyor appointment process, and how to manage party wall matters alongside your finance timeline.

Restrictive covenants are one of the most common title issues affecting development finance transactions. This guide explains what they are, how they affect your ability to develop, and the options for resolving them.

Easements and rights of way are among the most complex title issues affecting development sites. This guide explains the different types of rights, how they impact your scheme design, and what lenders require before releasing funds.

Listed buildings present unique challenges for development finance. This guide covers listed building consent requirements, the impact of heritage constraints on your scheme, and how to secure funding for listed building projects.

A lender-criteria guide for permitted development conversions. We set out what development lenders check on a Class MA or other PD scheme, from prior approval and building condition to leverage, pricing and exit.

A legal and timing guide to planning levies. We explain what triggers CIL and Section 106 liability, when each payment falls due, the penalties for getting the process wrong and how lenders treat the obligations in a facility.

The period between receiving a development finance offer and drawing your first funds can be complex and time-consuming. This guide walks through every step of the completion process, explaining what happens, who is responsible, and how to avoid delays.

Stamp Duty Land Tax is one of the largest single line items on any UK property development appraisal. This guide explains how SDLT applies to developers across residential, commercial, mixed-use and corporate purchases, and where the remaining reliefs sit after Multiple Dwellings Relief was abolished in 2024.

VAT treatment is the single most under-appreciated planning issue on UK property development projects. This guide explains zero-rating, the 5% reduced rate, the option to tax, and the practical steps developers can take to recover input VAT cleanly and avoid costly mistakes.

Whether a property developer pays capital gains tax or income tax on a sale is one of the most consequential tax questions in UK property. This guide walks through HMRC's badges of trade test, the current CGT and corporation tax rates, and the structural decisions that determine the final outcome.

PD Rights Calculator

Check PD eligibility and estimate conversion costs, GDV and profit for permitted development schemes.

Office to Resi Calculator

Calculate conversion costs, GDV and profit for office-to-residential schemes under PD or planning.

Commercial to Resi Calculator

Estimate costs and profit for converting retail, pubs, warehouses and industrial units to residential.

Barn Conversion Calculator

Estimate conversion costs, GDV and profit for agricultural barn-to-dwelling projects.

HMO Conversion Calculator

Calculate total investment, rental yield, ROI and payback period for an HMO conversion project.

Church / Chapel Conversion Calculator

Estimate conversion costs, heritage considerations and profit for church and chapel developments.