What are searches when purchasing a property?
What are searches when purchasing a property?
Day 3 #NCW2025 Tip for your Residential Property Purchase
What searches are done by your conveyancer when purchasing a property?
Your conveyancer will arrange the following searches:
Local authority search
This will reveal any planning, public health or highway issues affecting the property. It will also contain information about building regulation applications as well as notifications of any FENSA certificates for replacement windows, Gas Safe and electrical certificates
The search does not however extend to neighbouring properties and will not reveal any potential developments nearby.
Drainage search
This will show whether a property is connected to mains drainage and whether a main sewer runs through the property. It is important to check that nothing has been built over a main sewer without the consent of the Water Authority.
Environmental search
This provides information such as risks of flooding, potential ground subsidence or potentially contaminative uses nearby such as landfill or industrial sites
Chancel Repair Liability
Chancel Repair liability requires land owners to pay for the repair of the chancel (the part of a church containing the altar and choir) of a medieval church. It can be extremely difficult to establish whether a particular property is affected by this liability so we have taken a decision to obtain insurance against the risk of a claim being made
Your conveyancer may need to carry out additional searches depending on the location of the property for example if the property is in a coal mining area.
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Remove the jargon and keep it simple with Kerseys Solicitors Residential Property team. Download our free moving home guide to help you prior to your move and on the day of completion and our A to Z Glossary of Moving Home terms frequently used involved in the conveyancing process.
