Funding and Investment Partners in Edinburgh & the Lothians

Schemes around Edinburgh & the Lothians

Across Edinburgh & the Lothians, we cover Edinburgh and 3 other towns, among them Musselburgh, Livingston and Bathgate. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover Fife, Forth Valley and Lanarkshire.

Partnerships we can discuss around Edinburgh & the Lothians include social rent homes, Section 106 affordable homes and joint ventures with landowners. Planning in Edinburgh & the Lothians follows Scotland’s rules: National Planning Framework 4 sets national policy and the council’s Local Development Plan sets local policy.

Tell us about the opportunity near Edinburgh & the Lothians and the right person will call you back.

What we offer in Edinburgh & the Lothians

No money from the public

We do not take deposits, loans or investment from members of the public. Funding is discussed privately with lenders, institutions and landowners only.

Equity partners

Institutional partners can discuss forward funding or forward purchase of specific schemes, agreed privately and documented by each party's own advisers.

Advice from your own advisers

We do not give legal, tax or financial advice. Every party should take independent advice before entering into any agreement with us.

Landowner co-investment

A landowner can keep an interest in their land through a joint venture rather than selling outright, with the terms set out in a written agreement.

Planning in Edinburgh & the Lothians: the Scottish rules

Land sales in Scotland are concluded through missives, an exchange of formal letters between solicitors. Once missives are concluded they form a binding contract, and the buyer takes entry at settlement, then registers the title with Registers of Scotland. For land near Edinburgh & the Lothians, missives can be made conditional on planning permission in principle, so the sale only proceeds if consent is secured. The buyer pays Land and Buildings Transaction Tax to Revenue Scotland.

In Scotland, land transactions attract Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, and lenders take a standard security registered with Registers of Scotland rather than a legal charge. Contracts are concluded through missives, and planning obligations are secured by Section 75 agreements. Scottish property law differs from English law, so partners need Scottish legal advice.

Key rules in Edinburgh & the Lothians
National planning policy	National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which forms part of the statutory development plan
Local planning document	Local Development Plan (LDP)
Who decides applications	The council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area)
In-principle consent	Planning permission in principle (PPP), followed by approval of matters specified in conditions
Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer)	Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT)
Land registration	Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland)
How a sale becomes binding	Land sales are concluded through missives, formal letters exchanged between solicitors that become a binding contract once concluded, followed by settlement on the date of entry and registration in the Land Register of Scotland.
Developer contributions	Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments

Questions about Funding and Investment Partners in Edinburgh & the Lothians

What types of funding do residential developments use?

Typically a mix of senior development debt, sometimes mezzanine debt, and equity from the developer and its partners. Build to rent and affordable homes may use forward funding or forward purchase by an institution or registered provider. Landowners can also contribute land through a joint venture. The right structure depends on the scheme, and each party takes independent advice.

Is anything on this site regulated investment advice?

No. Land to Homes does not give investment, financial, tax or legal advice, and nothing on this site is an offer, invitation or recommendation to invest. Funding discussions take place privately with lenders and professional parties, who rely on their own advisers and due diligence. If you are unsure about any investment, speak to an independent regulated adviser.

Can I invest in Land to Homes?

Nothing on this site is an offer or invitation to invest, and we do not take investment, loans or deposits from members of the public. We discuss funding privately with development lenders and institutional partners on specific schemes. If you are a professional party with an interest in residential development, you can contact us to start a conversation.

How is forward purchase different from forward funding?

With forward funding, the investor pays for the land and construction as the scheme is built. With forward purchase, the investor commits to buy the completed homes, but the developer arranges construction finance in the meantime. The choice affects risk, cost and timing for both parties, so each takes its own advice before agreeing terms.

Can we discuss a partnership in Edinburgh & the Lothians?

We are happy to talk about specific opportunities across Edinburgh & the Lothians, including Musselburgh, Edinburgh and Bathgate. Conversations are private and every arrangement is documented by each party’s own advisers. Nothing here is an invitation to invest.