If you are buying a new build home in Scotland after researching the process in England, be prepared to unlearn a few assumptions. Scotland has its own distinct legal system, and conveyancing for new build property follows a different structure from the "reserve, exchange, complete" model used south of the border. The headline difference is this: Scotland does not use a single exchange of contracts. Instead, buyer and seller agree the deal through an exchange of formal letters called missives of sale, and the point at which the deal becomes legally binding — "conclusion of missives" — can arrive much earlier in the process than an English exchange typically does.
This matters enormously for new build buyers specifically, because new build purchases involve extra layers that resale conveyancing does not: a developer's standard conditions of sale, a long lead time to a build completion date rather than a fixed date, warranty and NHBC-style cover, and often penalty clauses if either side delays. English guides to new build conveyancing — written around exchange deposits, 28-day completion windows and the Consumer Code for Home Builders — do not map cleanly onto how a Scottish solicitor will actually run your file.
This guide walks through what missives are, how the Scottish new build process unfolds stage by stage, where it diverges from the English model, and the specific things new build buyers in Scotland need to watch for that generic UK-wide buying guides tend to skip entirely. Throughout, we will flag the practical consequences for your deposit, your mortgage offer, your moving timetable and your legal risk if things go wrong on either side.
Why Scotland's Legal Process Is Genuinely Different
Scotland has retained its own separate legal system since before the Act of Union in 1707, covering property law (conveyancing), contract law and court procedure. This is not a regional variation of English law with different paperwork — it is a parallel system with its own statutes, its own land register (the Land Register of Scotland, run by Registers of Scotland) and its own professional body, the Law Society of Scotland, regulating solicitors who practise it.
The practical upshot for conveyancing is that Scots property law is built around the idea of a binding contract formed through correspondence between solicitors, rather than a single physical "exchange" event involving signed paper contracts swapped simultaneously. That correspondence — the missives — is itself the contract. There is no separate "contract" document that gets exchanged afterwards; once missives conclude, you have a binding bargain.
Key structural differences at a glance
- Formation of contract: England/Wales use a single exchange of signed contracts; Scotland uses an exchange of letters (missives) that together form the contract.
- Timing of commitment: In England you can pull out relatively freely before exchange with limited cost; in Scotland, once an offer is formally accepted in writing and missives conclude, withdrawal typically carries real financial and legal consequences.
- Land registration: Scotland uses the Land Register of Scotland (and in a small residual number of cases the older Register of Sasines); England and Wales use HM Land Registry.
- Tax: Scotland charges Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) instead of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), with its own bands, reliefs and an Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) in place of the English higher-rates surcharge.
- Searches: Scottish solicitors typically rely on a Property Enquiry Certificate and Legal Report from Registers of Scotland rather than the separate local authority, water and environmental searches used in England.
If you have bought a new build in England before, the single biggest mental shift for Scotland is this: the "point of no return" usually comes much sooner, often before you have even arranged your final mortgage valuation on a part-built plot.
None of this makes the Scottish system worse or more complicated — many practitioners argue it gives both parties more certainty, earlier. But it does mean the sequencing of your own actions (mortgage, survey, removals planning, notice to your landlord) needs to shift earlier too.
What Are Missives of Sale? A Step-by-Step Explanation
"Missives" simply means letters. In Scottish conveyancing, missives of sale are a formal exchange of correspondence between the buyer's solicitor and the seller's solicitor (for new build, the developer's solicitor), which together build up the full terms of the contract. Unlike England, there is no single document called "the contract" that both sides sign at the same moment — the accumulated letters, once they match on every point, constitute the binding agreement.
The typical sequence for a new build plot
- Reservation: You pay a reservation fee to the developer (often £500–£2,000, sometimes non-refundable or part-refundable depending on the development's own terms) to take the plot off the market for an agreed period, typically 2–4 weeks.
- Instruction of solicitors: You instruct a Scottish-qualified solicitor (often also acting as your mortgage adviser or conveyancer under a combined "solicitor-estate agent" arrangement common in Scotland). The developer's solicitor issues their standard conditions of sale for the development.
- Offer to purchase: Your solicitor submits a formal written offer to buy the plot, referencing the agreed price, the plot number, specification, and incorporating or qualifying the developer's standard conditions.
- Qualified acceptance: The developer's solicitor responds with a "qualified acceptance" — agreeing in principle but usually attaching the developer's own detailed conditions covering build completion dates, deposit, NHBC/warranty provider, variations to specification, and remedies for delay on either side.
- Adjustment of missives: Your solicitor negotiates and "adjusts" the terms — querying penalty clauses, confirming longstop dates, checking title conditions (burdens, servitudes, factoring arrangements) and ensuring your mortgage offer's conditions are compatible with what's being agreed.
- Conclusion of missives: Once every letter matches with no outstanding qualifications, the missives are said to be "concluded." At this point you have a fully binding contract — equivalent in effect to English exchange of contracts, but reached through a different mechanical process.
- Settlement (completion): On the agreed date of entry — for new build, usually triggered by the developer's notice that the home is complete and has received its completion certificate — funds are transferred, keys are released and the disposition (the deed transferring ownership) is delivered for registration.
This is the single most consequential difference for buyers: in England, exchange and completion are often separated by only days or a few weeks on a near-complete new build. In Scotland, conclusion of missives and settlement can be separated by months, because the binding agreement is struck well before the house is watertight, let alone finished.
Scotland vs England: Stage-by-Stage Comparison
It helps to see the two systems side by side, because the terminology overlaps just enough to cause confusion — both systems have something called "completion," for instance, but it means a different stage in each.
| Stage | England & Wales | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Initial agreement | Offer accepted "subject to contract" — not binding, either side can withdraw | Offer to purchase submitted by solicitor — still adjustable, but moving towards binding faster |
| Binding point | Exchange of contracts — signed contracts physically/formally exchanged | Conclusion of missives — final matching letter confirms agreement |
| Deposit at binding point | Typically part-exchange deposit paid on exchange (often the reservation fee is credited) | Deposit terms vary by developer; often a deposit becomes due on or shortly after conclusion of missives |
| Gap to completion on new build | Often days to a few weeks once the home is near-complete | Can be months, since missives often conclude before the build is finished |
| Completion/settlement trigger | Fixed or notice-triggered date, NHBC completion certificate referenced | Date of entry, usually linked to developer's notice of practical completion and building warrant completion certificate |
| Land registration body | HM Land Registry | Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) |
| Transaction tax | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) | Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) |
| Searches | Local authority, water/drainage, environmental searches | Legal Report and Property Enquiry Certificate from Registers of Scotland |
| Right to withdraw pre-binding | Relatively free, subject to reservation fee loss | Narrower window; qualified acceptance stage still allows negotiation but less "cooling off" feel |
The practical warning that falls out of this table is straightforward: a Scottish buyer who treats "offer accepted" the way an English buyer treats "subject to contract" can find themselves legally committed sooner than they expected. Always ask your solicitor explicitly: have missives concluded yet, or are we still adjusting? The answer determines whether you can still walk away without cost.
New Build Missives: The Clauses That Don't Appear in a Resale Purchase
A resale property in Scotland typically has fairly short, standard missives. New build missives are longer and more heavily negotiated because the developer's solicitor starts from a set of standard conditions designed to protect the developer, and your solicitor's job is to push back on the terms that are unreasonable or unusually onerous. Specific clauses to expect and scrutinise include:
Build completion date and longstop date
Rather than a fixed date of entry, new build missives usually specify an estimated completion window (for example, "Q2 2027") and a longstop date beyond which you may have the right to resile (withdraw) from the contract without penalty if the developer still hasn't completed. Check how far out that longstop sits — some developer conditions push it 6–12 months beyond the estimated date, which is a long time to be contractually tied in with no exit.
Notice to complete / entry notice period
The developer will typically only need to give you a short notice period (commonly 10–21 days) once the home reaches practical completion, after which you must settle. Make sure your mortgage offer's validity period and your removal planning can realistically respond to that short notice — this is one of the most common practical pinch points for Scottish new build buyers.
Deposit and non-completion penalties
Missives will specify when your deposit is due (often a percentage on conclusion of missives, sometimes staged) and what happens if you fail to settle on the notified date of entry — typically interest accruing daily on the unpaid balance, and in serious cases the developer rescinding the contract and retaining the deposit. These penalty clauses are genuinely enforceable in Scotland in a way that surprises buyers used to the softer English exchange-deposit model.
Specification and variation clauses
New build missives usually reserve the developer's right to make "reasonable" changes to specification, layout or materials during the build. Your solicitor should check the wording is not so broad that it lets the developer substitute materially inferior fittings without recourse.
Warranty and factoring provisions
Expect confirmation of the structural warranty provider (NHBC, Premier Guarantee, LABC or similar, all of which operate across the UK including Scotland) and, crucially for flats and many estates, the factoring arrangement — the Scottish equivalent of an estate management company — covering common area and shared services charges after settlement.
Choosing and Working With a Scottish Solicitor
In England, "conveyancer" and "solicitor" are often interchangeable, and licensed conveyancers who are not solicitors handle a large share of transactions. In Scotland, conveyancing for a house purchase is almost always carried out by a solicitor regulated by the Law Society of Scotland, and in many towns the same firm acts as both your estate agent (through the Solicitors Property Centre network common in several Scottish cities) and your conveyancer — a combination that doesn't really exist south of the border.
What to look for in a Scottish new build solicitor
- New build experience specifically: Ask how many new build purchases from major housebuilders (Barratt, Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Cala, Springfield, Stewart Milne, Avant, Miller Homes and others active in Scotland) they handle each year. New build missives need different scrutiny from resale missives.
- Fixed fee clarity: Scottish conveyancing fees are usually quoted as a fixed fee plus outlays (Registers of Scotland registration dues, LBTT, searches). Get this in writing before instructing.
- Mortgage lender panel membership: Confirm your chosen solicitor is on your lender's conveyancing panel — the same requirement as in England, but worth checking early since Scottish panels can be smaller in rural areas.
- Timescale honesty: Ask them directly how quickly they can turn around adjustment of missives once the developer's solicitor replies — delays here are a common source of frustration when a developer is pushing towards a notice-to-complete deadline.
How the solicitor-estate agent dual role affects new build buyers
Because many Scottish firms combine estate agency and conveyancing, you may find your own "selling agent" relationship (if you're also selling a property to fund the purchase) and your buying conveyancer sit within the same firm, which can streamline communication on linked transactions — but always check for any conflict of interest disclosure where a firm is acting for both you and, indirectly, introducing you to a developer's incentive scheme.
One more distinction worth knowing: Scottish solicitors routinely handle the LBTT return and registration with Registers of Scotland as part of the standard fee, much as English conveyancers handle SDLT and Land Registry applications — so the overall service scope is similar even though the legal mechanics differ.
Registration: The Land Register of Scotland vs HM Land Registry
Once your purchase settles, ownership needs to be formally registered to protect your legal title. In England and Wales this means an application to HM Land Registry. In Scotland, the equivalent body is Registers of Scotland, and the relevant register for almost all modern property is the Land Register of Scotland (a small minority of older or unusual titles remain in the historic Register of Sasines, though new build plots are virtually always registered in the Land Register).
What your solicitor does at settlement
- Prepares and checks the disposition — the Scottish deed transferring ownership from developer to buyer, equivalent to the English transfer deed (TR1).
- Submits the disposition, along with a Land and Buildings Transaction Tax return, to Registers of Scotland for registration.
- Deals with the discharge of any standard securities (the Scottish term for a mortgage/charge) the developer may have had over the land, ensuring your title is clean.
- For new estates still under construction, registers your title against a plan that may reference a wider "mother title" for the development, with your plot's boundaries defined by a split-off plan.
Title conditions, burdens and servitudes
Scottish titles use "real burdens" and "servitudes" rather than the English language of restrictive covenants and easements, though the underlying concepts are similar: rules about what you can and can't do with the property, and rights such as access or shared drainage across neighbouring land. On a new estate, expect burdens covering matters like maintenance of boundary fencing, prohibitions on certain alterations, and obligations to contribute to factoring costs for shared amenity areas. Your solicitor should provide a plain-English summary of these rather than just the raw title deed wording.
Deposits, Mortgage Offers and the Timing Squeeze
Because conclusion of missives in Scotland can happen so far ahead of settlement, your mortgage arrangements need careful sequencing — a point English buying guides rarely need to cover because exchange and completion are usually close together there.
Mortgage offer validity
Most UK mortgage offers are valid for 3–6 months. If your new build won't be ready for 9–12 months after you conclude missives, your initial mortgage offer may expire before settlement, requiring a formal extension or a fresh application closer to the date of entry. Ask your lender and broker explicitly how they handle this for Scottish new build purchases, and build a reminder into your own diary — don't rely solely on your solicitor to track mortgage expiry dates.
Deposit timing
Unlike the English pattern where your deposit money effectively locks in at exchange and sits with the solicitor until completion days or weeks later, Scottish new build missives may call for deposit payment at conclusion of missives with many months still to run before settlement. Clarify:
- Whether the deposit is held by the developer's solicitor in a client account or paid directly to the developer.
- What interest, if any, accrues on the held deposit before settlement.
- What happens to the deposit if the developer delays well beyond the estimated completion date but within the longstop.
Help to Buy, Shared Equity and government schemes in Scotland
England's Help to Buy equity loan scheme has closed to new applicants. Scotland runs its own parallel but distinct schemes, including shared equity routes delivered through registered social landlords and local authorities, often referenced under the broader LIFT (Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers) umbrella. If you are using such a scheme, the missives and the scheme's own legal agreement need to be coordinated carefully, and your solicitor should confirm both can conclude on compatible timescales. For more detail on how this specific scheme works, see What Is the LIFT Scheme for New Build Buyers in Scotland?
Treat the gap between conclusion of missives and settlement as an active waiting period requiring its own checklist — mortgage offer renewal, buildings insurance arranged for the date of entry, and a pre-settlement snagging inspection — not a passive one.
Land and Buildings Transaction Tax vs Stamp Duty Land Tax
Scotland replaced Stamp Duty Land Tax with its own Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) in 2015, administered by Revenue Scotland rather than HMRC. The bands, thresholds and rates differ from SDLT and are set independently by the Scottish Government, so they can move at different times and by different amounts from English changes — always check the current Revenue Scotland rates rather than assuming parity with SDLT news you may have seen reported UK-wide.
| Feature | England & Wales (SDLT) | Scotland (LBTT) |
|---|---|---|
| Administering body | HM Revenue & Customs | Revenue Scotland |
| Nil-rate threshold (owner-occupier, typical) | Set by UK Government, subject to periodic change | Set independently by Scottish Government, subject to periodic change |
| First-time buyer relief | Available up to a set purchase price threshold | Available via a higher LBTT nil-rate band for first-time buyers, different threshold from SDLT relief |
| Additional property surcharge | Higher rates for additional dwellings (SDLT surcharge) | Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS), a different percentage and set of rules |
| Who files the return | Conveyancer files SDLT return with HMRC | Solicitor files LBTT return with Revenue Scotland |
| New build specific reliefs | None specific beyond standard first-time buyer relief | None specific beyond standard first-time buyer relief; same LBTT rules apply to new build as resale |
If you are buying a second home, buy-to-let new build, or still own another property at the point of settlement, factor in the Additional Dwelling Supplement, which can add a meaningful percentage to your LBTT bill. As with SDLT's surcharge, there are refund routes if you sell your previous main residence within a set period after completion — your solicitor should flag this proactively rather than waiting for you to ask.
Warranties, the New Homes Quality Code and Scotland
Structural warranty providers such as NHBC, Premier Guarantee and LABC Warranty operate UK-wide, including Scotland, so the 10-year structural warranty framework new build buyers rely on should feel familiar. However, there are differences in the consumer protection layer sitting alongside the legal purchase.
New Homes Quality Code applicability
The New Homes Quality Code and its independent ombudsman scheme (the New Homes Quality Board) launched in England initially, with coverage expanding over time. Always check directly with the developer or the New Homes Quality Board whether your specific Scottish development and builder are signed up, rather than assuming blanket UK-wide coverage — some Scottish housebuilders operate under the older Consumer Code for Home Builders instead, which has different but broadly comparable protections around pre-contract information, deposit protection and complaints handling.
Building warrant completion certificates
Scotland uses its own building control regime under the Building (Scotland) Act, administered by local authority building standards departments. The key document is a completion certificate confirming the building warrant conditions have been satisfied — the Scottish equivalent of an English building control completion certificate or the role NHBC's own inspections play in signing off construction stages. Your solicitor should confirm this certificate (or acceptance of a certificate of completion) has been issued before settlement proceeds, since without it a mortgage lender will typically refuse to release funds.
Snagging and the defects period
The practical process of snagging — inspecting for finishing defects before and shortly after moving in — works the same way in Scotland as in England in terms of what to look for, though the legal remedies route back through your missives and warranty documentation rather than a Consumer Code complaint alone if the developer is not signed up to that scheme. If you are weighing up whether to commission an independent snagging survey, the considerations are the same UK-wide: see Professional New Build Snagging Surveys: Cost and Is It Worth It?
Common Pitfalls for Scottish New Build Buyers
Several recurring problems show up specifically because buyers (and sometimes their English-trained advisers or family) apply English assumptions to a Scottish transaction.
Assuming you can pull out freely before "exchange"
There is no separate "exchange" moment to wait for in Scotland — missives can conclude as soon as your solicitor and the developer's solicitor have matched every term. If you need more time to arrange your mortgage, sell your current home, or simply think things over, say so explicitly and ask your solicitor to hold off replying rather than assuming there's a later "exchange" safety net.
Underestimating the gap to settlement
Missives concluding is not moving-in day. For an off-plan or early-stage new build plot, settlement might be 6, 9 or even 12+ months later. Buyers sometimes give notice on a rental tenancy, book removals, or let mortgage decisions-in-principle lapse based on a misunderstanding that conclusion of missives means imminent completion.
Not budgeting for penalty interest if you can't settle on time
If your own funding (sale of existing home, mortgage drawdown) isn't ready when the developer issues notice of practical completion, missives typically entitle the developer to charge daily interest on the purchase price until you settle. This is a real, enforceable cost — not a theoretical one — so keep your own chain and mortgage readiness tightly tracked as the estimated completion date approaches.
Confusing factoring charges with a Scottish "service charge"
New estates, especially flatted developments or those with shared open space, almost always come with a factoring arrangement for ongoing maintenance. Ask for the estimated annual factoring charge in writing before you conclude missives — it is a recurring cost similar in principle to an English estate management or service charge, but governed by different Scottish law (notably the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 for flatted blocks).
Overlooking that boundary and title issues work differently
If a boundary dispute or unclear title condition arises on a Scottish new build plot, the legal mechanics (real burdens, servitudes, title plans) differ from the English covenants-and-easements framework covered in most general UK guides. For background on how boundary issues are generally approached (noting the legal detail differs by jurisdiction), see How to Handle a New Build Boundary Dispute Legally, and ask your Scottish solicitor to translate the specific terminology that applies to your title.
A Worked Example Timeline
To make the abstract process concrete, here is an illustrative (not guaranteed) timeline for a new build flat in Scotland reserved off-plan, compared against a roughly equivalent English new build purchase at a similar stage of construction. Figures are indicative only — always confirm actual timings with your own solicitor and the developer's sales team.
| Milestone | Scotland (illustrative) | England (illustrative) |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation paid | Month 0 | Month 0 |
| Solicitor instructed, offer submitted | Month 0–1 | Month 0–1 (solicitor instructed, searches ordered) |
| Terms agreed / adjustment of missives | Month 1–2 | Month 1–3 (draft contract review) |
| Legally binding commitment | Conclusion of missives: Month 2 | Exchange of contracts: Month 3–6, often close to build completion |
| Deposit paid | On or shortly after conclusion of missives: Month 2 | On exchange: Month 3–6 |
| Build reaches practical completion | Month 8–10 | Month 8–10 |
| Notice to complete / completion notice issued | 10–21 days before settlement | 10–28 days before completion (NHBC notice) |
| Settlement / completion, keys released | Month 9–11 | Month 9–11 |
Notice that the end point — getting the keys — can land in a broadly similar month either way. What differs sharply is how early you become legally committed, and therefore how early your deposit is at risk and how long you are contractually bound before you have a finished home to inspect.
Questions to Ask Before You Instruct Your Solicitor to Conclude Missives
Because conclusion of missives is the binding moment, treat the run-up to it as your main negotiation window — not the settlement stage, which by then is largely administrative. Put these questions to your solicitor and, where relevant, the developer's sales team before giving the go-ahead:
- What is the estimated build completion date, and what is the longstop date beyond which I can withdraw without penalty?
- Exactly when is my deposit due, and is it protected in a client account in the meantime?
- What interest rate applies if I fail to settle on the date given in a notice to complete, and what rate applies if the developer is late?
- Which structural warranty provider covers this plot, and is the developer signed up to the New Homes Quality Code or the Consumer Code for Home Builders?
- Is there a factoring arrangement for shared areas, and what is the estimated annual charge?
- Are there any real burdens or servitudes that restrict alterations, parking, or use of the garden that I should know about now?
- How much notice will I actually be given once the home is ready, and is that realistic given my mortgage and removal arrangements?
- Is the title being registered against a mother title for the wider estate, and when will my specific plot boundaries be finalised?
A good new build-experienced Scottish solicitor will have answers to all of these before you ask, typically set out in a letter of advice alongside the missives themselves. If you are getting vague or deflected answers, treat that as a signal to slow down rather than a reason to proceed on trust.
Coordinating with a linked sale
If you are selling an existing home to fund your new build purchase, Scottish solicitors are generally used to coordinating linked transactions through missives on both sides, syncing dates of entry where possible. Flag the link explicitly and early — it affects how much flexibility you have to negotiate the new build's date of entry and notice period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is conclusion of missives the same as exchange of contracts in England?
They serve the same legal function — the point at which both parties become contractually bound — but they are reached differently. English exchange involves a single physical/formal swap of identical signed contracts. Scottish conclusion of missives is reached through a back-and-forth exchange of letters between solicitors until every term matches, with no separate contract document signed afterwards.
Can I still pull out of a new build purchase in Scotland after missives conclude?
Generally no, not without cost. Once missives conclude you have a binding contract, and withdrawing typically exposes you to losing your deposit and potentially further damages claimed by the developer. If you have doubts, raise them with your solicitor before authorising conclusion, not after.
Why does my mortgage offer need to last so much longer for a Scottish new build?
Because conclusion of missives can happen many months before the build is finished and you actually need to draw down funds, standard 3–6 month mortgage offer validity periods may expire before settlement. Discuss extension options with your lender or broker as soon as you have an estimated completion window.
What is a factoring charge and is it the same as an English service charge?
A factoring charge covers the ongoing maintenance of shared areas on a Scottish development — communal landscaping, shared drainage, common stair cleaning in flatted blocks, and similar. It is conceptually similar to an English estate management or service charge but is governed by different Scottish legislation, including the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 for flats.
Does Help to Buy apply to new builds in Scotland?
The England-only Help to Buy equity loan scheme has closed to new applicants. Scotland has its own separate shared equity and affordability schemes delivered through the Scottish Government and local authorities, often grouped under the LIFT umbrella — check current eligibility directly with your local authority or a participating developer.
Who registers my title after I buy a new build in Scotland?
Your solicitor submits the disposition and the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax return to Registers of Scotland for entry on the Land Register of Scotland, the Scottish equivalent of HM Land Registry in England and Wales.
What happens if the developer is late finishing my new build home in Scotland?
Your missives should specify a longstop date beyond which you can withdraw, and may include provisions for interest or compensation for serious delay. If the developer becomes insolvent or is taken into administration before completion, protections differ from a simple late-completion scenario — seek advice promptly if this happens.
Do I need a different type of surveyor or snagging inspector in Scotland?
No — the practical skills involved in checking finishes, services and defects are the same UK-wide, though the legal remedies route back through your Scottish missives, warranty documentation and applicable consumer code rather than an English-specific framework.
Is LBTT more or less expensive than Stamp Duty Land Tax for a new build?
It depends entirely on the purchase price, your buyer status (first-time buyer or not) and whether an additional dwelling surcharge applies. The two systems have different thresholds and rates, so a direct percentage comparison isn't meaningful — always check the current Revenue Scotland LBTT calculator against the specific price of your plot.
Next Steps
Buying a new build in Scotland rewards early, informed questions far more than it rewards waiting to see what happens after you've signed anything. Before you instruct a solicitor to move towards concluding missives, use these tools to firm up your plans:
- Browse live Scottish plots and developments across the country on Developments.
- Check the track record and build quality reputation of specific housebuilders active in Scotland via Builders.
- Search individual available new build properties, including those still under construction, on Properties.
- Explore locations, transport links and nearby amenities for a development using the Map.
- Use our calculators and planning aids, including affordability and tax estimators, in Tools.
- Line up two or three shortlisted developments side by side with Compare before you pay a reservation fee.
Whatever stage you're at, instruct a Scotland-qualified solicitor with specific new build experience before you pay a reservation fee if possible, and certainly before any offer is submitted. Ask them to walk you through the developer's standard missives conditions in plain English, flag the longstop date and penalty clauses clearly, and confirm in writing exactly when you will become legally bound. Getting that sequencing right from day one is the single most effective way to avoid the surprises that catch buyers who assume Scotland works the same way as England.