Conveyancing Searches – What Are They & What Do They Show?
Purchasing a property is likely to be the biggest financial commitment a person makes in their lifetime; therefore, it is vital that a purchaser is fully aware of any hidden issues that could arise and affect the property.
What are conveyancing searches?
Conveyancing searches, also known as property searches, are enquiries made by a conveyancing solicitor regarding a property you plan to buy. They gather information from relevant public authorities and may reveal matters that would not be obvious when viewing the property.
Why do you need conveyancing searches?
Searches are a requirement by your mortgage lender if you are purchasing a property with the assistance of a mortgage. Although they are optional if you are not purchasing with the assistance of a mortgage, we would still recommend that these should be carried out to ensure there are no hidden complications or issues with your purchase.
What searches do conveyancers make?
There are two types of conveyancing searches that a conveyancer may make on the property you wish to buy. There are required searches, that are almost always carried out, and then optional searches that would be ordered depending on the location and/or property type.
The required conveyancing searches are as follows:
- Local Authority Search – The Official Local Authority search details the entries on the Local Land Charges Register, planning permissions, building regulation approvals, highways information, notices and restrictions such as conservation areas and tree preservation orders, which are overriding interests. It is carried out by the relevant local authority, with the findings reported back to your conveyancer.
- Water and Drainage Search – The Official Residential Drainage & Water Search is a report revealing the location of public sewers within boundaries of the property or in its vicinity, whether foul water and surface drainage from the property drains to a public sewer, whether any sewers or proposed sewers are adopted, whether the property is connected to mains water, the location of public water mains and the basis of charging for sewerage and water supply to the property.
- Environmental Search – This property search covers the following areas:
1) Land Contamination – Environmental permits, active and historic landfill and waste sites and current industrial sites
2) Ground stability – Natural and non-natural ground stability
3) Radon
4) Flood – Rivers, Sea, Surface water and Ground water
5) Energy
6) Transportation
7) Planning - Chancel Repair search – If there has been no disposition of the property since 13 October 2013, either a chancel repair search or a chancel indemnity policy will be required. The Chancel Repair Search reveals whether a property is located within an area where there is a potential liability that you would have to contribute towards the repair and maintenance of the Church. Otherwise, an indemnity insurance policy can be taken out to cover the risk as an alternative option.
The optional or location-based conveyancing searches are as follows:
- Mining searches – If the property is based in an area that is or used to be mined or quarried, a mining search will check whether there have been any past, present or potential future mining activities that could affect the property. Mining activities could cause issues such as subsidence that could damage buildings.
- Flood risk search – If the property has a flood risk, then it could affect insurance costs, property value and future development plans. Carrying out a flood risk search would highlight whether a property is at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, surface water, or groundwater.
- Radon gas search – Radon gas is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can seep into buildings from the ground and could pose health risks. This search will help a purchaser understand if radon gas is likely to be an issue in the property and decide if they wish to install radon protective measures.
How much do conveyancing searches cost?
The purchaser is responsible for paying for searches and the cost will depend on the location of the property. For instance, each local authority charges a different amount for its local search, but we would say that a basic search pack typically costs between £250 and £500.
How long do conveyancing searches take?
The Environmental, Drainage and Water and Chancel Searches tend to come back within 24-48 hours. The Local Authority Search tends to be the search that takes slightly longer to be returned due to the amount of work involved and resources that have to be checked by the Local Authority. Each Local Authority has different turnaround times depending on volumes of search requests and resources available, but typical timescales tend to be between 2-4 weeks.
At GA, our expert conveyancers and solicitors in Plymouth will always aim to highlight any enquiries early on in the purchase process. This proactive approach ensures that your conveyancing searches can be completed efficiently and that your purchase is timely and stress-free.
If you are in the process of purchasing a property and have any questions about the search process or need to instruct a solicitor, do not hesitate to contact our award-winning residential conveyancing team for assistance and a quote.
GA Solicitors is ranked in Chambers UK, The Legal 500 and Chambers High Net Worth, ensuring you are in the best possible hands if you instruct us for your residential conveyancing. Simply call the team on 01752 203500 or email enquiries@GAsolicitors.com.
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