Property Searches

Property searches (known as conveyancing searches) are obtained by your conveyancer to find out important information about the home you are buying.

Core Searches

The core searches that will be obtained by your conveyancer on a property purchase are:

• Local Search
• Water & Drainage Search
• Environmental Search
• Local Area Specific Searches

Do I need searches?

Yes, when you are buying with a mortgage – your lender has a list of mandatory searches, which will normally include the core searches. If you are buying with cash, the choice is yours but it would be wise to find out as much information as possible about the property from publicly accessible sources.

How do I know which searches to have?

Some are core, some are location specific and some depend on how much information you would like about the property. Local area specific searches include as coal mining, tin mining, clay ball and rivers authority etc. Your conveyancer will highlight whether these types of searches apply to the property you are buying and include them in your conveyancing quote.

A flood search and a plan search (which offers details of planning permissions, pending applications on the search date) may also be offered to you.

Local authority search

This is probably the most important and takes the longest, on average 3 weeks, but this varies between areas – some come back in 45 minutes! This search only gives information about the property you are buying. It gives you information on a variety of areas:

• Planning & building control
• Listed building status
• Conservation areas and tree preservation orders
• Highways - road, rail & pathway information
• Pollution and smoke control areas
• Financial charges against the property

Water & drainage search

This search will be requested from the local water company and will give you information such as:

• Who owns and is responsible for maintaining the drains, sewers & pipework
• Whether the property is connected to the public water supply and sewer
• The location of the public sewer and drainage pipes
• If the water supply is metered or rateable
• Whether you’ll need permission from the water company to extend the property

Environmental Search

An environmental search is carried out by an agency that gives details of the past uses of the land included in your boundaries and in a specified vicinity of the property. It will inform you if the past uses are likely to have caused any potential contamination of the land. There is also an enhanced environmental search option available which includes information about:

• Pylons or electricity transmission lines that have been identified with 500 metres of the property
• Planning applications that have been submitted within 250 metres of the property
• Existing or potential mobile mast locations that are within the vicinity of the property
• Other information relating to the surrounding area

Chancel repair search

Usually insurance is purchased for chancel repair liability, as this cheaper than a search. This will be explained to you by your conveyancer.

Land registry search

This search is an administrative search to secure a six-week time period to allow a property to be registered and prevents any other applications during what is called a “priority period”.

Ask the professionals

Your conveyancer should be your first port of call when it comes to getting advice regarding searches and most use search companies who list recommend searches based on location.