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Conveyancing searches, also known as property searches, are enquiries made by your conveyancer on your behalf. Continue reading to find out more about the different types of searches there are, and why they are so important.
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When you buy a house, your conveyancer will order conveyancing searches which look for various issues in the local area or with the property, that may impact your purchase. Find out more about what conveyancing searches are and the different searches you will need when buying a house.
In this article:
Conveyancing searches, also known as property searches, are enquiries made by your conveyancer to various local authorities when buying a house, to find out more information about the property and land it sits on.
Searches help you to make a completely informed decision about the property you are purchasing. They are designed to protect you, and your finances and may help to stop you from purchasing a property that may lose value in future or may even be harmful to your health.
There are multiple property searches that you can get when buying a house. Some of which are mandatory for all properties, and others which are only relevant on certain property types, or for certain locations.
This search looks at whether the property you are purchasing is built on or near contaminated land or water, as well as the risk of potential landslips or flooding. Providing information about contamination risks from nearby landfill sites, industrial uses, radon gas hazard, ground stability, and a flood risk rating. Find out more about environmental searches.
This search reviews all the information the local authority holds on the house you’re buying. It provides a detailed view of the property and some general information about its surrounding area. This includes issues such as planning and building regulations, road adoption status, and any nearby roadwork or railway schemes. Find out more about local authority searches.
This search confirms the legal ownership of the property and checks for any existing mortgages or charges against the property. It also provides information on property boundaries and any rights of way or other restrictions that may apply. Find out more about land registry searches.
In addition to the main three searches, other specialised searches may be necessary based on the property's location and specific concerns:
This search establishes whether the property is connected to the main water supply and where your water comes from and whether they are any public drains running though the property or land. It also identifies the location of water mains and public sewers within property boundaries, which may affect your ability to extend the property.
This search checks whether the property has been built on land where there has been historic mining, such as coal, brine, or other materials, as this increases the risk of subsidence.
This search is required in areas prone to flooding to assess the likelihood and risks of flooding affecting the property. It provides more detailed information if an environmental search highlights a flood risk.
If you buy a house which is within the medieval parishes of a church, you may need this search to check if you are liable to contribute towards the cost of repairs to the church. Although most of these liabilities no longer exist, some properties may still have this liability. If your house is one of the few that still remain liable, you may want to take out an indemnity insurance policy to help cover you against future costs.
This search checks the planning history of the properties in the surrounding neighbourhood. It reveals information about both the specific property and neighbouring properties, unlike the local authority search, which is limited to the property address.
This search identifies planned energy projects or infrastructure developments that might affect the property, such as high-speed rail projects or new power plants.
These additional searches are not exhaustive, and your conveyancer will discuss the searches that they think are best for your property. Depending on the initial findings, further targeted searches may be recommended to address specific issues or concerns.
The cost of conveyancing searches can range from £250 to £450 depending on the location and your property. A typical search pack will include the local authority search, the environmental search and the water and drainage search and will cost around £295, with the cost for any additional searches being added onto this.
To give you a clearer picture, here is a breakdown of the costs you may encounter for the various searches:
Local authority search: depending on the local authority, this search can range from £150 to £400.
Water and drainage search: generally costs around £60.
Environmental search: typically priced at £60.
Flood search: approximately £24.
Planning search: usually around £35.
Chancel liability indemnity insurance: approximately £5.
It's important to note that these figures can fluctuate based on the location and the property you are purchasing. Your conveyancer will be able to provide a more accurate estimate based on your personal circumstances.
There are more than 340 local authorities across the UK and they each manage property searches differently. This means that turnaround time can be anything from 48 hours to several weeks.
Some local authorities work mainly online, sending search results via an online portal or email, which can speed up the process slightly. Whereas some authorities still work offline. Your conveyancer will have an in-depth knowledge of likely timescales.
Your searches need to be completed, reviewed and ‘approved’ before you can exchange contracts. This means that when a search comes back, your conveyancer will pick out anything that may be of concern and will share it with you, as well as raising enquiries with the seller’s solicitor.
We would usually expect a handful of enquiries from each search pack and depending on the seriousness of the enquiries raised may mean you wish to withdraw your offer on the property.
Conveyancing searches are compulsory when buying a house using a mortgage. Mortgage lenders will insist that searches are conducted, as they have a large stake in your property and will want to be sure that the money they are lending you will not be invested into a property that has a higher chance of being worth less in future. Your lender will tell your conveyancer what searches to run, and these will be checked before they release your funds.
If you're buying a house with cash, you have the option to not get most searches, or to cherry-pick only the ones you want. Although the majority of conveyancing searches are not compulsory, it’s still a good idea to get them anyway to avoid the risk of:
A devalued property (for example, because the loft conversion cannot legally be used as a habitable space).
Living on land that may be contaminated (for example, from past industrial works).
Finding out that the house isn’t connected to mains water, and only has access to a very limited natural water supply.
It’s important to note that certain searches, such as Land Registry searches, are required for all purchases.
Searches are paid for, and then owned by, the buyer of the property.
Conveyancing searches generally expire after six months. If you’re buying with a mortgage, your lender will only allow completion of the mortgage to take place if the searches are still in date.
Generally, conveyancing searches cannot be fast-tracked, although a small number of local authorities can offer it as a paid additional service. For more information on timings, it’s best to speak to your conveyancer. Dealing with local authorities on a regular basis, they will be able to provide more information on your specific local authority, including indicative timings.
Find out how much the conveyancing will cost for your house purchase
No Move No Legal Fee guarantee
Unlike many high street solicitors, if the transaction falls through, through no fault of your own, you won’t have to pay us any legal fees. Also, if you have already paid for searches, we will honour searches free of charge on an alternate property.
Property Specialists
The conveyancers we work with are all specialists in this field – this is all that they do, so they are better placed to help you with specialist knowledge and without any other distractions.
Online document submission
All the conveyancers we work with are based online, so you'll never need to visit your conveyancers offices. You can manage your move online through our eWay portal, meaning a lot less paperwork and delays.
Get in touch with one of the team
If you would like to speak to your conveyancer, please log in to your eWay account where you can find their contact details.
Log in to eWayMonday - Friday
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If you would like to discuss a quotation you have received please call our Move Specialists on
0333 234 4425Monday - Friday
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If you would like to email us, please send it to the following email address:
quotations@myhomemoveconveyancing.co.ukMonday - Friday
9am - 5pm
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