CRN 55601(S) 55606(J) Property Development Level 7 Assessment Information/Brief 2026/27 | Salford

Property Development Assessment Brief

Assessment Information/Brief 2025-26

To be used for all types of assessment and provided to students at the start of the module. Information provided should be compatible with the details contained in the approved module specification.

Assessment Task Details and Instructions

You are employed by a real estate development company (KASH Developments) that typically focuses on residential development projects in Manchester. Having obtained a new planning consent for a mixed-use scheme of houses with commercial office space in Warrington, due to the site location and commercial element being outside the normal scheme for KASH Development, rather than executing the project themselves, they are now seeking to sell this development opportunity and require a valuation of the site with the benefit of planning. 

Your task is to provide a valuation report for the site based on the approved planning scheme using a period-by-period cashflow method of development valuation to obtain a residual land value. 

Additional Information

The report should apply and reference the RICS Valuation of Development Property Professional Standard and should include:

• Planning policy, including affordable housing and planning obligations.
• Identifying the stakeholders within the development process and their impact.
• Analysis of methods of funding the development of this type
• Analysis of market trends and justification for market values and market rents for commercial elements using comparable evidence. (Evidence can be included within an appendix.
• Build costs and professional fees, and how these are obtained (Evidence can be included within an appendix).
• An initial standard residual valuation of the scheme. (This can be included within an appendix.
• Detailed quarterly period-by-period cash flow based on the information obtained to produce a valuation for the site. (This can be included within an appendix.

Site Details and Approved Scheme

• The site is located off Loushers Lane in Warrington, with the postcode of WA4 6DN
• The site is 3 hectares (Approx 7.4 acres) 
• The site is cleared, requiring no demolition or remediation.

Approved Planning

Residential

• 30x 4-bedroom detached houses with garages, each being 160m2.
• 10x 3-bedroom Semi-detached houses with off-road parking, each being 90m2 

Commercial 

• 2x Commercial 3 storey office blocks with associated landscaping and parking. 
• Office space includes raised floors and air-conditioning
• Block 1 – Ground to 2nd floor – 350m2 per floor 
• Block 2 – Ground to 2nd floor – 290m2 per floor

Valuation Inputs

• The profit required should be stated at 20% of GDV (Arguments can be made for a reduced profit margin within reason).
• Purchasers’ fees for land, which includes SDLT legals and Surveyors fee, is 6% of the land price.
• Sales/marketing fees for office & residential sales of private housing: 1% of the sale price. 
• Contingency allowance: 5% of build costs.
• The construction period is expected to be 3 years.  
• Professional fees based on 10% of build costs.
• Planning obligations: Research into the planning obligations is required, which will include CIL and or Section 106 agreements payable on planning approval and Biodiversity Net Gain.
• Allowances for affordable housing should be made under the current local planning policy.
• Ground rents: Assume that no revenue is received from the sale of income from ground rents.
• The 1st 10 detached houses will be sold at the end of the 4th quarter. 15 detached houses are to be sold at the end of the 8th quarter, and the remaining 15 detached and semi-detached houses at the end of the 12th quarter.
• The office space will be assumed to be sold or refinanced into developer ownership at the end of the 12th quarter.
• Rents and yields for office space should be obtained using Co-Star.
• Assume a rent-free period of 3 months when calculating office values.
• Allowance for finance at 6% based on 60% of GDV (Arrangement and exit fees at 1% each).

Other Assessment Information

The coursework assessment should be presented in the form of a report with appendices. The introduction, conclusion, contents page and reference list will not be included in the word count.

You should use a clear, legible font, i.e., Arial size 12 or Calibri size 14, with line spaces set to 1.5.

Within the report, you should state the value calculated, and the detailed cash flow and sensitivity analysis can be provided within the report or within the appendices.  
All sources used as part of your report should be referenced using the APA-Harvard style 7th edition in accordance with University guidelines.

How to Submit

For coursework assessments only: students with a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) or Carer Support Plan should check their plan to see if an extension to this submission date has been agreed.

This assignment MUST be submitted electronically through Blackboard/Turnitin®. By submitting the coursework on Turnitin®, you consent (insofar as your consent is needed) to the following:

a) The University will submit your assessments (including details of your name and course details) to the Turnitin® service so that your assessments can be compared with the database of works that is maintained by the Turnitin® service and that is drawn from various sources, including the internet; and 

b) Your assessments may be stored in that database of works indefinitely (or until the University stops using the Turnitin® service and requests their deletion) to help protect your assessments from future plagiarism. Where there is a match between content in your assessments and content in other works, then your assessments may also be copied by the University and other users of the Turnitin® service to allow closer analysis. 

Assessment Criteria

You should look at the assessment criteria to find out what you need to do to complete this assessment.

Grades are given in the following bandings:

• Planning analysis, stakeholders and funding - 30%
• Provide analysis on the market, comparable evidence, and build costs – 25%
• Provide a residual and cash flow valuations – 35%
• Presentation and referencing - 10%

At Postgraduate Level 7, the following marking scale shall be used:

N.B. Further guidance regarding both the assessment criteria and how these relate to the university’s grade descriptors below is provided in the assessment rubric included in Appendix I.

Assessed Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:

• Describe the process of property development using a range of conceptual models.
• Identify and employ appropriate development appraisal techniques.
• Explain the types and sources of development finance, including the lending criteria appropriate to each.
• Discuss the role of marketing and market research in property development.
• Appraise the development industry, the players, motives, processes and activities.

Practical, Professional or Subject Specific Skills

• Use development appraisal spreadsheets. 
• Use development appraisal software efficiently. 
• Recognise actual issues on a development site. 
• Produce a robust development viability assessment/statement. 
• Use basic land surveying equipment.

Employability Skills Developed\Demonstrated

You will develop a range of employability skills sought by employers through each assessment.
   
Through this assessment will have an opportunity to develop and demonstrate the following employability skills:

(please put a cross in the box for the skill and level demonstrated in the assessment)

I = You will have been introduced to this skill
U = You will have developed an understanding of this skill in the context of your subject
A = You will be able to apply this skill in the context of your subject
D = You will have demonstrated an enhanced understanding and application of this skill in a wider context 

Support for This Assessment

You can obtain support for this assessment by contacting me initially. My contact details are S.M.Haverly@salford.ac.uk
Please make an appointment.

Forward feedback sessions will be provided with the module schedule. You can find more information about understanding your assessment brief and assessment tips for success here. 

Other sources of support

• Understanding your assessment brief/assessment tips for success 
• Develop your academic and digital skills 
• Assessment rules and processes 
• Support services

Issues affecting your assessment

If exceptional circumstances have affected your ability to complete this assessment, you can find more information about the Exceptional Circumstances Procedure (previously Personal Mitigating Circumstances) here.  Independent advice is available from the Students’ Union Advice Centre. 

Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct

You must learn and demonstrate good academic conduct (academic integrity). Good academic conduct includes the use of clear and correct referencing of source materials. 
Academic integrity & referencing
Referencing  

Academic misconduct is an action that may give you an unfair advantage in your academic work.  Some examples are plagiarism, asking someone else to write your assessment for you, unauthorised use of AI or taking notes into an exam. The University takes all forms of academic misconduct seriously.  

Reassessment Arrangements

If you need to be reassessed, the reassessment will be the same, and the submission date will be shown within Blackboard and will take place in July 2026 (Date to be confirmed). There is no resubmission if you are on a retake attempt.

For students with accepted personal mitigating circumstances for absence/non-submission, this will be your replacement assessment attempt.  

We know that having to undergo a reassessment can be challenging; however, support is available.  Have a look at all the sources of support outlined earlier in this brief. 

Appendix 1 – Assessment Rubric

N.B. – This is to be used alongside the assessment criteria listed above.

Assessment Rubric