Agricultural Land and Estates

Work examples involving agricultural land and estates

• Completion of £120m worth of deals during the Coronavirus pandemic with many clients looking to buy prime property in the countryside.
• Exchange of contracts within 24 hours on a recent estate sale due to speed of response and pragmatic analysis of the transaction. This was crucial in getting the deal done as there were other bidders in the offing who needed longer to perform.
• Saving clients hundreds of thousands in Stamp Duty on high value purchases this year.

Buying or selling a farm 

Our specialist agricultural team can help through all stages of the conveyancing process, as well as helping negotiate and helping you understand how to get the best deal for you. Our specialists can help with:

• advising on ancillary matters that come with an agricultural transaction;
• advice on the issues you should consider when in negotiations with agents;
• help through all stages of the conveyancing process;
• searches and subsequent recommendations;
• funding issues and any dealings with lenders;
• advice on stamp duty requirements;
• exchange of contracts and speedy completions; 
• post-completion work including Land Registry records; and
• tenancies, rights of way, overage obligations and leases.

Buying or selling rural property 

Our holistic and commercial approach means we can advise on:

• the full conveyancing process of a rural property including country homes and estates;
• boundary and title issues;
• loans on your property;
• rights of way;
• the setting up of a specialist vehicle to purchase the property (whether it be a company, LLP, family partnership); and
• the all important capital tax considerations which form an important part of any transaction.

Agricultural land development 

Whether your sale is small or you have hundreds of acres we can help with various aspects including:

• issues with mixed use land;
• purchaser enquiries;
• rights of way;
• easements; 
• transfer of retention;
• entitlements to subsidiaries;
• dealing with leases or licences; and
• yenancies and associated documentation.

The business of running a farm or owning land 

There are various legal issues that you’ll face in running your farm or owning land, whether its basic agreements or commercial plans for the future.

We can help you with:

• farm partnership agreements and business structures;
• dealing with disputes;
• business tax advice;
• commercial contracts for farming businesses;
• employment issues and transferring staff;
• share farming agreements;
• farm business tenancies; 
• commercial lettings;
• sporting rights;
• diversification and change of use; 
• equestrian matters; and 
• rights and responsibilities of landowners including liabilities relating to livestock and other animal issues.

Stamp Duty and Land Tax

With the right advice there are opportunities to make significant SDLT savings. There are over 30 relief options. We can:

• advise on mixed use properties or farms;
• make assessment of SDLT obligations with consideration of other properties owned, number of dwellings and other factors;
• help with clearance applications; and
• give advice for dealing with HMRC.