An introduction to Plot Sales at Feldon Dunsmore

During my first year and a half at Feldon Dunsmore I’ve had a fantastic opportunity to develop my legal skill set in commercial property matters, dealing with a vast array of scenarios from secured lending, leases and property purchases. I’m now looking to take on a new challenge and broaden my legal arsenal as I move over to the firm’s Plot Sales Team.

What are Plot Sales at Feldon Dunsmore?

Feldon Dunsmore specialises in working closely alongside developers on development sites across the country ranging in size from small scale housing sites (maybe just 2 plots) to large, high rise residential developments in the heart of London (in the region of 450 units). Working in tandem with our commercial department, we can act from the initial site acquisition (including funding where applicable), through the site setup and launch, all the way to completion of the sales of the individual plots/units.

I’ve learnt very quickly that it’s vital we know the site inside and out to ensure we can draft the bespoke sales documents necessary for each site, offer our clients practical and pragmatic advice specific to the development, the circumstances and the client’s priorities and needs, and to ensure the sales of the plots proceeds smoothly and swiftly.. Pinpointing the finer details within the sale documents such as the scope of services being provided at the development, parking rights and the extent of the demise of the unit being sold is vital to ensure that each development is properly set up and future-proof. Being involved from the very first steps in the acquisition of the site helps greatly as we are already aware of potential key issues that may require resolve and can formulate effective plans to deal with those issues early on to minimise effect on the plot sales e.g. delays . To this end, we use a thorough pre-launch checklist which, although at first sight may seem a little lengthy and tedious for our developer clients to complete, it enables us to gather as much information and be as informed as possible from the outset. The information we gather in this process is invaluable as it informs drafting of the sales documents, preparation of the legal sales pack and also often provides information which we can use to efficiently respond to and deal with enquiries raised by buyers’ lawyers later down the line (saving repeatedly liaising with the developer client later on to request this information piecemeal).

Challenges of adapting to a new work style

One of the key differences I’ve found since moving into the Plot Sales team is that I’ve had to adapt my working style to accommodate the different environment of Plot Sales. On average, I have found there is more day-to-day management (for example, dealing with correspondence and enquiries raised in relation to numerous plots on a development) than you may find a typical commercial matter, as we manage the sale of a large number of individual plots on a development (as opposed to separate commercial properties). It’s therefore been a fantastic opportunity to develop my organisational skills. I’ve found it can become very overwhelming if you don’t come prepared with a clear plan of action, however I’m lucky to be surrounded by knowledgeable and supportive colleagues who have been so helpful in helping me adapt to this style of work and have provided me with plenty of tips and tricks to help me along the way!

One could say that moving teams in itself could also be considered a ‘challenge’. Everyone has their own different style of working, with organisation preferences and approach to matters differing greatly from one person to the next. Whilst sharing similar characteristics to the commercial side, Plot Sales by its nature requires a completely different style of working in order to cope with the large volume of individual plots that can be present in each development, with the team working together effectively and efficiently to ensure that no single member for the team becomes overwhelmed. Communication within the team is vital for success to ensure there is a coherent plan of action in place for the launch of the development and subsequent sales so they run smoothly without any unnecessary delays or duplicated work. Luckily, communication is something I’ve found has been very easy within the Feldon Dunsmore team as everyone is so approachable.

An exciting time for Plot Sales at Feldon Dunsmore

It would seem that my move to the Plot Sales department has come at the perfect time. As the firm continues to grow and is experiencing the highest volume of work since the firm was founded 10 years ago, Plot Sales is no different. The department continues to expand its portfolio of developments on sites across the country it seems I’ll have plenty of opportunities to further enhance my skills within the Plot Sales team.

If you’re interest in obtaining a quote for our services please contact 01926 954694.