PROTECTING BUYERS, SOLICITORS & LENDERS
DevAssist is the only company that audits locations for development risks and opportunities.
You could be buying or selling property with no knowledge of how views could be altered or removed due to new developments.
Have the neighbours ever attempted to obtain planning permission for a new build development?
Are they trying to achieve permission for a basement or an extension?
Are those fields safe from development?
Why are the vendors selling?
You and your solicitor should be asking these questions.
WE CAN ANSWER THEM
This basic assessment for residential and commercial purchasers of properties under 0.25 acres exposes any significant development risks in a 75m radius from the centre of the main structure. Areas investigated include risks to views, the impact on its value and enjoyment potential should development occur nearby, and a professional opinion on its development potential.
A DevAssess report is delivered in 5 working days. However, a limited number of fast tracked orders are accepted each day. Properties larger than 0.5 acre or those requiring a more in-depth report are better suited to DevAssess Premium.
£100 +VAT
This comprehensive report provides greater depth of information on potential risks. Recommended as the ‘go-to’ choice for risk-adverse property purchases under 40 acres, its search area extends 75m from the boundary. It looks at traveller sites, the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, local policy, listed buildings, the five-year housing supply and changes to nearby major infrastructure. Greater depth of this report can reveal alternative exit strategies and potential hidden value in properties.
A DevAssess Premium report will be delivered in 3 working days. However, a limited number of fast tracked orders will be accepted each day. Properties over 40 acres are priced on an individual basis.
from £300 +VAT
Major urban locations are constantly evolving, especially in the big cities of England and Wales. These high-value, high-risk areas are analysed in two stages – initially looking at the planning history of nearby structures, followed before exchange by any other pending planning applications. As planning data can be four weeks out of date when purchased, it is essential for litigious clients to make sure the best data is being investigated. Just before exchange, the report is updated with any responses from the Freedom of Information Act request, revealing any other pending planning applications.
A DevCity report will be delivered in 5 working days. However, a limited number of fast tracked orders will be accepted each day. Properties over 10 acres are priced on an individual basis.
£500 +VAT
Sometimes you just need to investigate whether a piece of land or an asset has development potential. This report examines the hidden potential or alternative use in a property that may increase its value. Widely used by solicitors, estate agents, asset managers and debt recovery experts for identifying where land values may exceed existing use values, the report protects professional indemnity insurance from the risk of underselling property assets. With HMRC making random checks on property assets being sold, this report gives solicitors peace of mind that they have adequately assessed any development potential.
A DevProbate report will be delivered in 5 working days. However, a limited number of fast tracked orders will be accepted each day.
£60 +VAT
A Fast Track service is available on all of our products, subject to request.
from £40 +VAT
QUICK SUMMARY OF WHAT WE DO
Protect yourself or your clients today.
Watch our quick video to the left to see what we do, and why it is important to you.
DOWNLOAD OUR BROCHURE
PROTECTING BUYERS
We offer unique and specialist advice to property buyers, both residential and commercial.
What is the single most important factor that contributes to the value of a property? Its location. So why is it always ignored and never investigated?
A misunderstood fact is that your solicitor will only study what is inside a properties boundary yet it is often what is outside it that can impact it. To research a location is time consuming and very specialist. That’s what we do, and why we have protected and prevented serious financial mistakes for our clients.
Buying any property has risks to buyers, lenders and solicitors, and all are closely connected. Exposing unknown risks is essential for all parties concerned.
Melissa Porter – TV Property Presenter comments:
“I can’t see why any solicitor would not urge their client to invest in a DevAssist search”
PROTECTING SOLICITORS
Are you and your clients at risk? A risk to your clients is a risk to you?
Did you know that 95% of your client base is concerned about development risks. 10% will be affected by it.
With solicitors PI being one of the most common contributory factors to solicitors going out of business can you afford not to protect it? DevAssist have created the only reports of their type in the country. We investigate and audit a location so that buyers of property can purchase with peace of mind, or in the knowledge that change is coming. By understanding change it prevents any blame to the solicitor and increases service levels. Please also see our section on client care wording. Exposing unknown risks and obeying compliance rules is essential for all parties concerned.
Leading planning barrister and commentator, Martin Edwards, observes:
“Information is power. So why would any conveyancing solicitor not offer their client the opportunity to learn about what the future may hold in terms of any possible development threat or opportunity?”
PROTECTING LENDERS
Development, change of use or views can have a huge impact on value. Understanding a location is critical.
Valuing makes many assumptions and is based on what a valuer sees. Just as a valuer cannot see an environmental or flood risk they will not see a development risk.
It could be land that is going to be used for an alternative and less neighbourly use or a dramatic reduction in view. We have identified numerous examples where a significant change to an area would impact the value of a property.
This is vital information for both the lender and the buyer. Alternatively a property could have hidden value that has not been identified. This could improve the value and lower the risk for the lender.
WHAT DO OUR CLIENTS SAY?
Our clients love what we do. Here are some of the wonderful comments we receive.
CASE STUDIES
The easiest way to demonstrate what we do is by showing you some examples. TAKE A LOOK. You will find them quite eye opening and thought provoking.
£150,000 for mud and no permission in Bloomsbury
If proof were ever needed of the ongoing demand for basement space in London, this month, the amount of cash paid smashed all expectations, after a developer signed over a staggering six-figure sum for the mud underneath an existing block of flats...
Here today, gone tomorrow
Water views are safe, aren’t they? We have done a number of reports on this development. Buyers may think they have water views over the top of the existing structures...
London – Basement risk
DevAssist do huge amounts of work in London. In the high value areas one of the most common risks we uncover are basement extensions. Sometimes referred to as Iceberg homes these amazing feats on engineering are great for the end users...
London – Temporary blight
Here we identified positive development with a negative twist. To the east was a large industrial site that was going to be developed for circa 600 flats with commercial, restaurants, coffee shops etc...
JUST A FEW OF OUR MANY CLIENTS
LATEST NEWS
Keep up to date with our thought provoking blog.