What is actually checked before buying?

Who the owner is and how they became one, what encumbrances are registered, whether there is litigation or any entries, whether the area and boundaries in the documents match reality, and what the planning position is. The land register extract is the starting point, not the whole answer.

I paid a deposit and the seller has changed their mind. What can I do?

It depends on what the preliminary agreement says. In many cases a judgment can be sought that stands in place of the contract, but the time limits matter. The earlier it is discussed, the more options remain open.

A neighbour built across the boundary. Is a survey needed?

Almost always. The discussion proceeds on the cadastral documentation and a survey, not on impressions. Without them a claim is hard to sustain, however obvious the situation looks on the ground.

Real Estate & Construction

With real estate, checking costs little before signing and a great deal afterwards. Encumbrances, pending litigation, the planning position and the true boundaries of the land are all visible in the documents — but only if someone looks at them before the money leaves.

We assist buyers, sellers, owners and developers, from due diligence and negotiating the preliminary agreement through to neighbour disputes and permit litigation.

Situations in which we are called

You are buying a flat, a house or land and want the documents checked before the deposit
You have signed a preliminary agreement and the seller is delaying or refusing to complete
The developer is late handing over, or delivers something other than what was agreed
A neighbour has built across the boundary or damaged your property
You need a building permit, or one has been refused
There is a dispute over inherited or restituted land

What we cover

Checking the legal position of the property and the encumbrances entered in the land register
Drafting and negotiating preliminary agreements and sale contracts
Assistance in dealings with developers, including at handover
Building permits, planning certificates and challenges to refusals
Neighbour disputes, easements, boundary setting and title claims
Subdivisions, mergers of plots, registrations and correction of land register errors

How we work

On a purchase, the checks are done before the deposit, not before completion. Timing matters: once the money has left, your negotiating position is much weaker, and some problems can no longer be fixed, only compensated.

In disputes, we first look at what the documents say and what the land says — there are situations where the two do not match, and a survey done in time changes the discussion completely.

What helps us start

The land register extract, as recent as possible
The seller’s title documents and the cadastral documentation
The preliminary agreement or promise, if one has already been signed
The planning certificate or permit, if the matter concerns building

Questions about this service?

Get in touch