A conveyancer’s job is to help you buy a house. There are a lot of different parts to that job, but one of the big ones is conducting property searches on behalf of buyers. Overall there are 5 main types of property search you need to carry out on a property, and they’re usually too difficult or time-consuming to handle yourself. So today we’re going to look into what exactly conveyancing searches are, why they’re important, and answer some common questions we get asked at the same time.
What Are Conveyancing Searches?
Also known as a property search, conveyancing searches are enquiries made with public authorities to give you more information about the property you plan to buy. This information can be good, or it can be bad, or just general knowledge to help you make an informed decision. For example, searches might tell you about flood risk, details of access rights held, or whether the property is affected by any planned future developments. There are typically 4 types of searches a mortgage lender will insist on:
· Local authority search: To gather all the information the local authority holds on the property, including details about listed building status, tree preservation orders, any financial charges registered against the property, conservation areas and any planning agreements or applications they hold.
· Environmental search: Provides historical records for the house and surrounding areas so that we can check past use of the land. The focus here is to find out whether the property is built on or near contaminated land or water. It will also pick up on any issues like risk of potential landslips or flooding from nearby rivers, seas or lakes.
· Land registry search: A compulsory search to understand the details of all the registered owners of the land, including the current one (the seller).
· Water and drainage search: This will establish where your water comes from, whether there are any public drains running through the property or land, and how much of a flood risk you might have.
There are also a range of more specialist searches, which might need to be done depending on where your property is in the country. Your conveyancer will discuss with you which are relevant to you specifically. This includes:
· Mining search
· Chancel liability search
· Planning search
· Energy & infrastructure search
· Underground railways search
· Dev Assess search
· Commons registration search
· Disadvantages areas search relief
Why Do Buyers Need Conveyancing Searches?
When you see what each of those searches reveals, it’s a bit easier to understand why conveyancing searches are so important. These searches help you to make a completely informed decision about the property you’re purchasing. They’re designed to protect you and your finances, and may even help to stop you from purchasing a property that might lose value or even be bad for your health.
Some of this information can be difficult to track down on your own, and even if you can it will take a lot of time, which when you’re in the middle of buying a house can be hard to find! Especially when you consider that there are more than 340 local authorities across the UK, and each one manages property searches a little differently. A conveyancer is well connected and authorised to access this kind of information, and knows where to find it. That means we can get the searches done quickly, and provide you with full reports on the results. We can also help translate all of that information from legalese into plain English, which is always a bonus!
Conveyancing Search FAQs
Now, let’s answer some of those frequently asked questions we talked about.
How long do they take? We mentioned above that there are over 340 local authorities in the UK, and every one of them has their own way of dealing with property searches. So while we can’t say for certain how long your property search will take, it’s usually somewhere between 48 hours to several weeks.
Can they be fast -tracked? Generally not. There are a few local authorities that will offer a fast-tracked search for a price, but not many. If you’re on a time crunch it’s usually best to speak to your conveyancer. They will be able to provide you with more information on your specific local authority, including the timescale each one usually works to.
Who pays for them? Property searches are paid for, and then owned by, the buyer of the property.
Can you buy a house without them? Conveyancing searches are compulsory if you’re using a mortgage to buy a property. Lenders will be insistent, and often withdraw the offer if you don’t have them done. If you’re buying a property in cash, you can choose not to do the searches, or just do a few of them. The only search that’s compulsory for any house purchase regardless of method is the land registry search.
How long are they valid for? Property searches are generally valid for 6 months, and a mortgage lender will only allow completion to happen if the searches are still in date.
What happens once the searches come back? Your conveyancer will sit down with you and highlight anything that might be of concern. They will also raise those concerns with the seller’s solicitor. We usually expect a handful of questions from each search pack, and we can discuss them directly with you.
So yes, conveyancing searches are very important. They are what make you aware of the potential issues that could affect your property sale and future investment, and make sure you’re making an informed decision. We know the conveyancing process can be a bit complex, but with the right support, you can be confident that all the right searches will be carried out to protect your interests. If you’d like to find out more, just get in touch with the team today.
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