New Home Construction in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Our work around Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Our Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire coverage takes in 5 towns and cities, centred on Aberdeen and including Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Stonehaven. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover Moray, Angus & Dundee and Perth & Kinross.

Near Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, we look at in-principle consents that still need detailed approval, land with an expired or ageing consent and schemes that need redesigning to work. Because Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire is in Scotland, land titles are registered with Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) and transfers attract Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).

Send us the site address near Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire and we will tell you what we think the planning route is.

What we offer in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

From land to keys

The people who buy or promote the land also plan the build, so the scheme that wins planning is one that can be delivered on site.

Energy-efficient homes

Homes are designed to meet current energy standards in each nation, which increasingly means low-carbon heating, high insulation and good airtightness.

Mixed tenures on one site

Homes for sale, homes for rent and affordable homes can be built together, designed so that the tenures are hard to tell apart from the street.

Respect for neighbours

Site traffic, working hours, noise and dust are managed under a construction management plan where the council requires one, and neighbours know who to contact.

Planning and land rules in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

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 Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, 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, construction needs a building warrant from the council before work starts and an accepted completion certificate before homes are occupied. Building standards are set by the Scottish Government, and the New Build Heat Standard generally rules out direct emissions heating such as gas boilers in new homes. New roads usually need roads construction consent from the council.

Key rules in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire
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

Common questions in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

What happens to the roads and sewers on a new development?

On many developments the new roads are built to the highway authority's standards and then adopted, so the council maintains them. Sewers can similarly be adopted by the water company. Where roads or open spaces are not adopted, they are usually looked after by a management company funded by residents, and buyers should check this before reserving.

What is a new-build warranty?

A new-build warranty is an insurance-backed policy that covers certain defects in a newly built home for a set period after completion. In the early part of the cover the builder is usually responsible for putting defects right, with the warranty provider covering major structural problems later on. Most mortgage lenders require a recognised warranty or a professional consultant's certificate.

Does Land to Homes build the homes itself?

Land to Homes manages planning, design and construction on the sites it brings forward, and is part of the S&K Group, a construction and property group. Construction is carried out with contractors and suppliers under our management. Because we plan land with building in mind, the schemes we take to planning are designed to be delivered.

What are building regulations?

Building regulations set minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings, including structure, fire safety, energy efficiency, drainage and accessibility. England, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own regulations, approved through building control. Scotland has building standards, and work needs a building warrant from the council before it starts and a completion certificate at the end.

Can you manage a site in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire from planning to build?

On land we take forward ourselves across Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, including Inverurie, Fraserburgh and Peterhead, we manage planning, design and construction. Tell us about the site and we will explain how we would approach it.