Small Scale Developer
Small-scale developments remain a popular investment option in Australia. These developments are an effective long-term strategy to seek better cash flows and capital growth, utilising existing property or purchasing land for a new development. Whether you are seeking to develop a duplex on your current property, build multiple townhouses or subdivide property, SettleHub can provide expert advice to facilitate a prompt and smooth conveyancing process for your convenience.
Making Your Development Vision a Reality
We guide you through the legal intricacies of property development, ensuring a smooth and stress-free process. With our expertise, we have assisted small-scale developers in successfully realizing their development projects across Victoria.
Planning and Zoning Compliance
Navigating local planning and zoning regulations is crucial for the success of your development project.
Our team ensures that your development plans comply with all relevant local council requirements and obtain the necessary permits. We conduct thorough assessments to address environmental concerns and meet regulatory standards, providing you with peace of mind and a clear path forward.
Contract Drafting and Review
Properly drafted and reviewed contracts are essential to protect your interests throughout the development process.
We offer comprehensive contract services, including drafting and reviewing agreements with builders, contractors, and suppliers. Our experts ensure that all terms and conditions are clearly defined and legally sound, reducing risks and preventing disputes.
Conveyancing and Settlement
Our conveyancing services ensure a seamless transfer of property ownership and compliance with all legal obligations.
We handle all aspects of the conveyancing process, from conducting property searches and preparing legal documents to coordinating with all parties involved in the transaction. Our goal is to facilitate a smooth and efficient settlement process, allowing you to focus on your development project.
Developing Your Project with Us
When you choose us to assist with your small-scale development project, we guide you through the following steps:
Step 1:
Initial Consultation and Project Planning
We begin with a detailed consultation to understand your vision and goals for the development.
Step 2:
Securing Permits and Approvals
Our experts will handle the application process for all necessary permits and approvals. This includes navigating local council regulations, addressing environmental concerns, and ensuring your project meets all legal and statutory requirements.
Step 3:
Contract Drafting and Negotiation
We provide thorough contract drafting and negotiation services, ensuring all agreements with builders, contractors, and suppliers are clear and legally sound.
Step 4:
Conveyancing and Settlement
Our conveyancing team will manage the transfer of property ownership, ensuring compliance with all legal obligations. We handle property searches, prepare necessary documentation, and coordinate with all parties to facilitate a smooth and efficient settlement process, allowing you to focus on the development itself.
Advantages of Legal Advice
In your property development journey, SettleHub can provide additional legal advisory services to maximise the benefits of the property development. These benefits may not be provided by other conveyancers (without a legal background) or those with extensive property development experience. Our services include:
- Pre-site acquisition advisory
- Too often, we see small scale developers purchase sites that are not suitable for their development goals. Issues can include that the property has an easement which impedes on the plans, or the property has a restrictive covenant preventing multi-dwelling construction.
- Through our one-to-one consultations, we can help identify these risks and either advise on how to overcome them or provide a cost-benefit analysis on the site you are purchasing.
- We can also negotiate special conditions that allow you to carry out due diligence of the site.
- Property Acquisition and Funding
- We will also provide you with independent legal advice on any private funding arrangements to finance the property development.
- Joint Ventures in Property Development
- We can also provide legal advice in drafting contracts for joint ventures or syndicated developments. We can ensure that the client’s goals are reflected in the contracts and unitholders agreement to prevent legal issues arising during and/or post-development. Our expert advice can assist in enabling a smooth development process and reduce conflict.
- Contract negotiations
- We can assist you to negotiate favorable terms with the Vendor. In purchasing high-value sites for development, clients often require private lending arrangements or longer settlement periods.
- Having a conveyancer who is conversant in such matters will assist you to secure the most favorable contract terms for yourself.
- Smooth and swift settlement process
- We make your development journey hassle-free by ensuring smooth title transfers and swift operations.
Small-scale Development Conveyancing
Our small-scale developer conveyancing package includes assistance in each of the following stages of property development:
Stage 1: Property Purchase
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Reviewing the section 32 statement (vendor statement)
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Assisting you in making the most suitable purchase
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Carrying out all legal documentation adhering to all applicable regulations
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Communicating with all parties ensuring that they follow process
Stage 2: Property Development Process
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Reviewing and drafting property development contracts with subcontractors and/or joint venturers if required
Stage 3: Post-development Process
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Assist in lodging the sub-division applications
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Drafting the section 32 statement
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Communicating with the buyers’ conveyancers and planning the settlement
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Ensure property disposal in a legal manner
We understand that committing to a property development journey can be rather daunting, however, our years of experience working with clients enables us to assist you to navigate the complexities of property law.
Why Choose MJ Legal?
Choosing MJ Legal for your small-scale development project comes with a host of benefits that ensure a smooth, efficient, and successful experience. Here’s why MJ Legal is the right partner for your development journey:
- In-Depth Knowledge: Our team comprises seasoned property lawyers with extensive experience in the latest development regulations and requirements.
- Up-to-Date Insights: We stay updated on the latest changes in property law and local council regulations, ensuring your project complies with all legal standards.
- Tailored Advice: We provide personalized advice specific to your project's needs, helping you navigate complex legal landscapes with ease.
- Individual Attention: We take the time to understand your unique goals and circumstances, offering customized solutions that align with your vision.
- Dedicated Support: Our team is committed to providing continuous support throughout your development project, from initial planning to final completion.
- Responsive Communication: We maintain open lines of communication, ensuring you are always informed and involved in every step of the process.
How Can We Help?
At MJ Legal, our property lawyers bring years of expertise in conveyancing to support your small-scale development project.
Our services are delivered through a seamless integration of advanced technology and personalized human interaction. We utilize cutting-edge tools to enhance efficiency while ensuring that you receive the attentive, personalized service you deserve.
We believe in empowering our clients by educating them about the legal process. We guide you through each step of your development journey, ensuring you understand every aspect and alleviating any additional burdens. Our goal is to make your development project as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Our lawyers collaborate closely with your mortgage broker or bank to streamline the finance approval process. This coordinated effort reduces the time and effort you need to spend managing communications between different professionals, ensuring a timely and successful property settlement.
FAQs on Property Development
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A restrictive covenant is a written agreement between two landowners to impose limitations on the use and development of one land, for the benefit or protection of another.
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Usually in property development, restrictive covenants are registered to impose restrictions on the use and development of subdivided lots in order to protect other property.
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Private lenders are typically non-bank lenders who make loans outside the scope of the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009.
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This means that they may only lend to corporate entities and not natural individuals. Typically, these loans are for periods not exceeding 24 months and are provided for land development.
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Private lenders usually do not seek that the borrower proves their ability to service the loan, instead lenders assess the quality of the security provided and the ability for the borrower to sell the project and repay the loan.
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A syndicated development usually involves multiple investors who pool their joint finances into a unit trust and use the funds to purchase and develop land.
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The investors will then distribute the returns between themselves according to the contract or unitholders agreement. Property syndicates are often used in commercial and residential property development projects.
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A unitholders agreement is similar to a shareholders agreement. These agreements are entered into by parties to a syndicated development to assist them in governing their relationship with each other.
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Unitholders agreements to a property development will usually include clauses appointing the builder for the construction, the lawyers, and accountants of the project. Clauses are also included governing the manner of the sale of the completed project and how to resolve any disputes that may arise between the parties.