Planning
Can the assumed use, density and massing be supported?
Issue 01 · Acquisition due diligence
The £500,000 profit that disappeared before construction began.
Why development profits are often lost before the site is purchased—and how to challenge the assumptions before they become commitments.
The acquisition rule
Do not ask only, “Does the deal make a profit?”
Ask which assumptions create that profit, what evidence supports them, and what would cause each one to change.
A connected view
One site. Six tests.
A viable acquisition needs more than a positive residual. The opportunity should survive six connected tests before commitment.
Physical
Can the design actually be built on this particular site?
Cost
Does the budget reflect the scheme, including abnormal work?
Funding
Can the programme and cash requirement carry delay?
Market
Are values and absorption supported by local evidence?
Exit
Is there a credible alternative if the preferred strategy stalls?
Free field tool
Take better questions into your next site review.
The 20-point acquisition checklist separates what is evidenced, what is assumed and what remains unresolved—before land is bought.
Independent development services
An experienced second opinion before more money is committed.
Practical, commercially focused reviews for developers, investors and funders considering an acquisition or managing a project already under way.
Every instruction is confidential and independently scoped. Fees are confirmed in writing before work begins.
01
Initial consultation
£250–£350
A focused discussion of the project, principal concerns and immediate priorities, followed by a concise action note.
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Desktop project review
From £950
A review of the information provided, identifying the principal commercial, design, cost and delivery risks.
View the desktop review service03
Acquisition & development review
From £2,000
A detailed review of the appraisal, programme, planning, design, funding assumptions and proposed exit strategy.
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Ongoing project monitoring
From £750 per month
Independent oversight of progress, emerging risks, costs, information requirements and decisions requiring attention.
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Send a brief outline of the project and the decision you are facing. We will respond with the most proportionate next step.
About the publication
Experience without the property-guru theatre.
The Development Brief provides practical, commercially focused guidance for emerging developers and investors moving into more complex projects.
It is edited by Joe Jordan MRICS, a chartered surveyor with four decades of property development experience across the UK and Europe. The emphasis is on the decisions that protect value: acquisition, appraisal, design coordination, funding and delivery risk.
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