Living

Living

The UK living sector is evolving; changing demographics and a shift in housing needs mean that the sector is more diverse than ever. The living sector presents a fantastic opportunity for developers and investors, despite the challenges faced in recent years.

Forsters’ Living team acts for a wide range of clients who are developing, investing and operating in all different types of housing. Often the legislative and market challenges are the same, but each type of housing can bring its own quirks and particularities. Our Living team is well placed to guide clients through these issues and challenges – using our combined specialisms to provide clients with a cohesive, joined up team of advisers to assist with any type of transaction.

The living sector isn’t new to us. We’re immersed in it and have been at the forefront of market trends, helping clients to navigate the changing regulatory and market landscape.

With experience dealing with all phases of a living project or transaction, our expertise covers the following areas:

  • Strategic land
  • Site assembly and acquisition
  • Financing
  • Planning
  • Development and construction
  • Disposals
  • Plot sales
  • Corporate real estate and tax
  • Real estate disputes

Key experience

Octopus Real Estate care home fund

We have acted for the Octopus Real Estate since 2017, advising their specialist care home fund on the acquisition of many of the care homes in their portfolio. This has included acting on the acquisition of a £100 million portfolio of care home sites from LNT Care Developments, advising on forward fundings with numerous development partners and acquiring standing assets.

Build to Rent purchase by Farlane Capital

We acted on behalf of Farlane Capital, a real estate investment platform operating in the UK living sector, on the acquisition of two residential tower blocks (comprising 72 units) in Coulsdon, near Croydon. The two tower blocks comprise part of a wider site which includes three residential tower blocks, allocated to be used for affordable housing. The blocks were purchased ready to be occupied by renters, with all BSA requirements cleared. Across our Commercial Real Estate, Corporate, Tax, Banking, Planning and Construction teams, we advised on all aspects of the acquisition including construction, planning risk (including on exit), estate structuring, corporate structuring, tax aspects and in addition on a £12.5 million debt financing package.

Section 106 affordable homes in Canning Town

We advised Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association on the acquisition from English Cities Fund (a joint venture between the HCA, Legal and General, and Muse Developments) of 177 new affordable homes required under the section 106 agreement to be secured for affordable housing. The homes are in three Tower Blocks on Phase One of this multi-phase regeneration scheme in Canning Town.

Emily Davies Halls of Residence, Southampton – Far East Orchard

Acting for Singapore-based property firm Far East Orchard, we completed on the purchase of this stabilised student accommodation investment in Southampton for £13.9 million. This transaction involved efforts from across the firm with input from our Commercial Real Estate, Construction, Planning, Residential Property, Corporate, Employment and Tax teams.

Meet our team