Why Do I Need Property Searches?
‘Why do I need property searches? What is my Conveyancer looking for? Trainee Solicitor, Molly Evans, discusses in her latest blog…
You may already be aware that when purchasing a property having searches carried out is a critical part of the process, especially if you are mortgage funded. You may have questions about what they are, or what they entail. Property searches provide detailed information about the property that you wish to buy.
What Are The Main Property Searches?
Local Authority Search
This is required to check if there are any planning or building regulation consents for any work carried out on the property, or if the property is affected by issues such as planning enforcement action, road schemes, road adoption or even land contamination.
Drainage And Water Search
This search looks into whether the property is connected to the public sewer system and mains water supply. It also checks if the plan shows any public sewers passing through the boundaries of the property which would give the sewerage undertaker rights to access the property for maintenance and repair purposes. It also reveals whether the seller should have obtained consents from the sewerage undertaker for extensions erected over the site of a public sewer within the boundaries of the property.
Environmental Search
This search is carried out to identify if the property is at risk of any contamination that could require the home owner to carry out remediation works at their own cost. It also looks at flood risk, ground stability and local energy installations and infrastructure schemes.
There are many more searches available other than those detailed above such as chancel repair liability, highways extent or planning.
Are Searches A Requirement?
Searches are not a requirement if you are a cash buyer, but you should always instruct a Conveyancer to advise on this issue. Searches may identify issues with the property that may affect your use or enjoyment or even the value or mortgageability of the property. If you are mortgage funded, it is almost certain that your lender will require the searches to be carried out as standard. Don’t forget, you should always consider having a survey carried out in addition to these searches. A seller has a limited duty to disclose physical aspects of the property during the sale process. If defects are found following completion, the purchaser is unlikely to recover any loss for rectifying these.
How Can Timms Help?
If you are looking for advice on the Conveyancing process or seeking a quotation for fees, please do not hesitate to contact me at m.evans@timms-law.com or via phone on 01283 561531. Alternatively, you can visit the Conveyancing page of our website here.
August 2022