Buying Commercial Property Solicitors

We advise on all types of commercial property acquisition, including offices, retail units, industrial premises, warehouses and licensed premises such as pubs, restaurants and hotels. We also advise on development land acquisitions, option agreements, overage agreements and conditional contracts. If you’re buying an investment property or portfolio, we can advise on the transaction alongside the wider structuring of your investment.

Due diligence covers everything you need to know about a property before you commit to buying it. We review searches, investigate title, check for third-party rights such as easements and restrictive covenants, and identify any issues that could affect your use of the property or its value. We advise clearly on what we find and what it means in practice, so you can make an informed decision before exchanging contracts.

An option agreement gives a buyer the right, but not the obligation, to purchase a property at an agreed price within a set period. They’re commonly used in development and investment contexts where a buyer needs time to investigate planning, obtain consents or arrange funding before committing. We draft and negotiate option agreements, as well as overage clauses and conditional contracts, and advise both buyers and sellers on the implications.

Unregistered property is land not yet registered with HM Land Registry. Title is proved through a chain of historical title deeds rather than an up-to-date register entry. This makes investigation more complex and time-consuming, but it’s manageable with the right expertise. We have experience of unregistered title issues, including complex situations involving public authority land. Once a transaction completes on unregistered property, the title is typically registered for the first time at that point.

The process typically begins with agreeing heads of terms, followed by both parties instructing solicitors. We carry out searches and due diligence, negotiate and agree the contract, and report to you on our findings before you exchange. Once you’re satisfied and finance is in place, contracts are exchanged and the transaction then moves to completion. We guide you through every stage, explaining each step clearly so you know what’s happening and when.