Risk disclosure

1. Property values move

Prices rise and fall with the market, interest rates and local conditions. Past performance says nothing about future performance, and no figure on this site is a promise about what a property will be worth.

2. Nothing here is approval

Submitting an enquiry or completing qualification does not approve you as a buyer or a seller, and it does not approve finance. We may decline a matter, and a capital partner may decline to fund an acquisition.

3. Structured purchases carry specific risks

A structured purchase, a fixed price with a defined down payment and an option period, creates real financial and legal obligations. It is a right to buy, not an obligation to buy, but the money you pay to hold that right is at stake. Have the agreement reviewed by your own solicitor before you sign it.

4. Your down payment is at risk

If you do not complete the purchase, you may lose the down payment and any other sums paid to hold the property. The amount at risk is stated in pounds in the agreement before you pay it. Read that figure and be certain you can afford to lose it.

5. A fixed price cuts both ways

The price is fixed at the start and does not move with the market. If values rise you gain; if values fall you may be committing to buy at above the market price at the time you complete. That is the trade you are making and it should be a deliberate one.

6. Financing is not guaranteed

We are not a lender. Whether a lender will offer you a mortgage at the end of an option period depends on your circumstances and on lending conditions at that time, neither of which we control. Plan for the possibility that finance is not available.

7. Building work carries cost and programme risk

We tender before we start and we measure our variance, but opening up a building reveals things no survey found. Programmes slip on materials, weather and statutory approvals. Contingency is not optional.

8. Third parties

Solicitors, brokers, lenders, surveyors, contractors and agents are independent. We choose partners carefully and hold written service levels, but we are not responsible for their performance.

9. Tenancies and income

Rental income is not guaranteed. Voids, arrears and changes to the rules affecting rented property can all reduce it, and any yield figure shown is a calculation, not a forecast.

10. International transactions

Buying across a border adds currency risk, different legal process, different taxes and, in some markets, restrictions on foreign ownership. We work through local professionals and we will tell you what we do not know.

11. Checks can delay or stop a matter

Identity and source-of-funds checks apply to everyone. If they cannot be completed, we cannot proceed, and that can happen after costs have been incurred.

12. We do not give advice

Nothing we publish or say is legal, tax, financial or investment advice. Independent professional advice is your responsibility and it is worth what it costs.

13. Liability

To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or for lost profit, arising from a transaction or from use of this site. Nothing limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

14. Questions

If any part of this is unclear, ask before you commit: [email protected]. See also our terms of use and insights.