Insights
A considered view.
Practical perspectives on land, development, investment and the decisions behind them.
Land & Funding · September 2026 · PDF · 6 pages · 2.2 MB
Land uplift: two tools to explore with clients.
Shining a light on two tools Graham has used recently with clients: recognising planning uplift in a funding assessment and deferring landowner payments, sometimes described as the “landowner bank”.
Graham is working on three live projects where the lender is comfortable assessing day-one funding and the equity contribution against the land value reflecting the planning uplift. For the right scheme, recognising that value can ease the requirement for fresh cash equity. Deferred land payments offer another way to approach the initial capital requirement.
GBR Consult can support clients in exploring whether either tool is appropriate, working collaboratively with their valuers and other advisers to assess the proposal in the round. Development, banking and valuation expertise can combine to increase the art of the possible.
The fundamentals remain essential: commercial viability, sound purchase terms, realistic costs and cashflow, and clear security and repayment arrangements. Every proposal is assessed case by case and remains subject to proper underwriting and due diligence. An uplift in value is not cash in the bank.
This practical perspective also runs through The GBR Academy. To explore the options for a project, talk it through with Graham.
GBR Research · March to August 2026 · PDF · 2 pages · 235 KB
Time is money. Scottish new-build market comparison.
Compare average asking prices, floor areas, prices per square foot and recorded reservation rates across Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire.
Sales pace matters. Slower sales can mean longer on site, higher prelims and additional finance costs, putting pressure on margin. This research snapshot shows why sales assumptions deserve as much scrutiny as build costs and selling prices.
Prices are asking prices. Averages use available records; price per square foot is area-weighted. Rates of sale reflect recorded reservations per outlet per week, not completed sales.
Land & Development
Before you buy the site, test the assumptions
The asking price is easy to see. The assumptions behind your appraisal deserve the same attention.
Investment
A portfolio with a purpose
A collection of individually plausible purchases is not necessarily a coherent investment strategy.
Land & Property
Sell, develop or partner? Start with your priorities.
The route with the largest headline figure may not be the route that works best for you.
In practice
From advice
to action.
See how acquisition negotiations and funding were brought together for a residential portfolio purchase.
GBR Academy resource
Land funding,
not banking.
Read Graham’s six-page paper on deferred land payment, capital pressure and aligning landowner and developer interests.
From LinkedIn
Inside the GBR
Development Masterclass.
These posts introduce practical ideas from the GBR Development Masterclass: testing options, understanding land value and challenging development costs.
“We’ve got a plan.” What were the other options?
Explore credible alternatives before committing capital, and use what you learn to strengthen the chosen development strategy.
Same land. Different buyer. Different worth.
How procurement, funding, delivery strategy and competitive advantage change what a site is worth to a particular buyer.
How certain are your development costs?
A practical way to expose uncertain appraisal inputs and improve the evidence before planning, land purchase and the start of construction.
Not sure what the right next step is?
You don’t need a fully formed brief. Start with a conversation.