Property Searches Comparison: Who's Best?
- Property searches are detailed reports on factors that could affect the property you're interested in and its surrounding area.
- Local Authority, Water & Drainage, and Environmental Searches are typically the "main" searches that a mortgage lender will require before lending money.
- SAM's conveyancing search bundles offer a convenient way to order essential property searches without having to order one at a time.
- Top Tip: Turnaround times for property searches vary, but Local Authority Searches often take the longest (up to 8 weeks). Check if your local authority offers the option to fast-track property searches.
- Additional house searches may be necessary depending on the property's location and characteristics.
- Providing you are happy with the results of the searches, you can move on to exchanging the contracts and this process usually takes around 1-3 weeks.
What are property searches?
Property searches are a must-have when buying a property in the UK, especially since they are a lender requirement when taking out a mortgage. They reveal crucial information that neither you nor the seller might know. Don't risk your investment – get searches when buying a house.
While lenders require certain conveyancing searches for mortgage approval, cash buyers should also prioritise them. Skipping property searches can lead to hidden problems that could affect your property's value and future saleability. Are searches necessary when buying? Yes, even for cash buyers!
Beware of cheap property search bundles. They might not include all the essential searches you need to fully protect yourself. We'll explore what some leading online conveyancing firms offer and what their bundles include, so you can decide on the types of property searches you need.
Do cash buyers need property searches?
Even if you're buying with cash, conveyancing searches are essential. They can uncover hidden issues that could impact your property's value and future saleability. Don't risk your own money – get the property searches you need.
Mortgage lenders won't lend their money without evidence that certain properties and searches have been obtained, so why would you want to risk your own money by buying without property searches?
What property searches are done when buying a house?
These are the main property searches that will be a requirement from your mortgage lender. Additional local searches may be necessary depending on the property and location. We'll cover these further down.
- Many properties in England and Wales, both old and new, may be subject to a chancel repair liability.
- This means you could be required to contribute to the repair costs of a local church, even if this isn't mentioned in your property deeds.
- This liability stems from historical land ownership and can affect properties in both urban and rural areas, stretching many miles.
- The potential cost can be substantial, running into thousands of pounds.
- This search confirms your property's connection to mains water and identifies the location of drains and sewers, both on and near the property (public).
- It indicates whether foul water and surface water drain from the property to a public sewer and the basis of charging for sewerage and water supply.
- This report checks for past and present industrial land use, which can indicate contamination.
- If the land is officially registered at your local authority as 'contaminated', you could be liable for clean-up costs, even if you weren't responsible.
- Clean-up costs often exceed the value of the property and/or land.
- Most environment reports also contain information about nearby industrial processes or installations such as landfill sites or waste management sites, as well as pollution incidents.
- This search provides essential details about your property, including planning consents and road adoption agreements.
- It can also include any notices or restrictions (e.g., conservation area, smoke control area, tree preservation orders).
- It focuses specifically on the boundaries and the title of the land or property you're buying.
- Prediction of climate risks to the property and the surrounding area up to the 2080's.
- It looks at future soil subsidence, coastal erosion, extreme wind days, riverine flooding, surface water flooding, and coastal flooding.
- While not mandatory for mortgage lenders, we expect this to become mandatory in the coming years so include it in our search bundle.
Comparison of conveyancing searches
When it comes to searches, you want a reliable service that delivers excellent value. We've analysed the offerings of various solicitors and our competitors, focusing on the essential searches and reports you'll need for a home purchase.
Searches Solicitor/Conveyancer | Local Authority Search | Water & Drainage Search | Environmental Search | Chancel Report | Climate Report | Search Bundle Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SAM Conveyancing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | £325 |
Money Super Market | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | N/A |
Stephensons | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | £270 |
True Solicitors | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | £302 |
PLS Solicitors | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | £400 |
Ackroyd Legal | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | £350 |
AV Rillo | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | £310 |
Harrisons | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | £480 |
Chadwick Lawrence | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | £395 |
Easy Conveyancing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | £281 |
Halifax AKA Muve | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | £281 |
Information correct as of: 14th February 2025.
Additional local searches when buying a house
Depending on the property and location, you might need additional house searches, such as:
Coal Mining Search
Required in areas with a history of mining activity, this search identifies potential risks in certain parts of the UK like subsidence.
For example, if you were buying property or land in Cornwall, South Wales, or the North East, your mortgage lender will usually require this additional search. This will identify current, planned, or historic underground workings, and may indicate if any previous claims have been made for subsidence.
Flood Risk Report
Essential for identifying flood risks, even if the property isn't near a river or sea.
The Environment Agency estimates that over 500,000 properties are at ‘significant risk' of flooding. They suggest that 1.4 million properties are at risk of river (fluvial) or coastal (tidal) flooding, with 2.8m at risk of surface water (pluvial) flooding. From the search results, 1 million properties are at risk of both types of flooding.
As well as identifying traditional flood risks and whether the property benefits from flood defences, a flood search report may identify if the property is at risk of groundwater flooding from rainwater, one of the main causes of the 2013/2014 floods.
A flood search report can also indicate the insurability of a property which may be a mortgage requirement.
Planning Report
Provides detailed information about the local planning history and potential future developments of the property's surrounding area.
This report also includes a professional opinion about the development potential of the property and identifies any areas or sites nearby that may be of potential future interest to a developer, but where planning has not yet been submitted.
These sites may include neighbouring properties and land. The professional opinion also considers the risk of change taking place, search costs, and whether you should undertake any further conveyancing searches which may reveal covenant control on adjoining land.
Energy and Infrastructure Report
Highlights proximity to major infrastructure projects like HS2, fracking sites, solar farms, or wind farms.
Subsidence Report
Confirms if the property is in an area prone to subsidence. Subsidence can be caused by soil shrinkage, mining activity, water leaks, or trees close to the property.
Commons Registration Search
Reveals if any part of the property is registered as common land. If so, that part will be subject to public access. If the entire land your property is sitting on is considered common land, the council may order its removal.
Radon Search
Recommended in radon-affected areas, this report checks for dangerous levels of radioactive gas which could make you ill if not addressed promptly.
Conveyancing Search Pack
Our comprehensive conveyancing search pack includes the essential property searches most lenders require. Get all the information you need in one convenient bundle.
How much do conveyancing searches cost?
Our property search packs are competitively priced at £325 INC VAT. We can also provide you with any extra local searches you may need.
What can house searches reveal?
Conveyancing searches provide detailed reports on factors that could affect the property and surrounding area. Sometimes, for certain areas, lenders might expect you to buy more location-specific searches as a condition of lending.
Searches can reveal potential risks that might make the property:
- Too expensive to maintain in the future.
- Unpleasant to live in.
- A health hazard.
House searches can flag issues like:
- Unauthorised building work (e.g., loft conversion without planning permission).
- Incorrect connection to drainage/sewage systems.
- Flood risk.
- Potential liability for church repairs (chancel repair liability).
For example:
Local Authority Search: This search might reveal that your property's loft conversion was built without planning permission or building control sign-off. This could mean it's unsafe or that you could face enforcement action. It might also affect the property's value.
It might mean that you can bargain with the seller to pay for retrospective building control sign-off on the works or perhaps to pay for an indemnity against the local authority fining you if they discover the anomaly.
Then again, further enquiries might uncover that the works were sub-standard and hazardous, which will make any purchase to be regarded as too risky.
Water and Drainage Search: A drainage and water search might uncover that your property isn't correctly connected to the local water company's sewage network. This could lead to expensive plumbing issues.
Environmental Search: An environmental report might flag that the property is in an area prone to flooding or is located on or near contaminated land. This could impact your insurance premiums or even your ability to get a mortgage.
Chancel Repair Liability Search: A chancel search might reveal a liability to pay for repairs and upkeep to the local church. This could be a significant unexpected cost where you face a demand for as much as £10,000 to help repair the local church's roof.
The fact that lenders place so much importance on getting these searches is revealing in itself: any large lending organisation is likely to 'hedge its bets' as much as possible where risk is concerned.
Your solicitor will review the search results and advise you on the next steps, which could include renegotiating the price, requesting repairs from the seller, or even withdrawing from the purchase.
Order Your Searches
Discounted Bundle of Searches
Order the most common searches required for purchasing a property at a discounted price.
Chancel Search
Drainage & Water
Climate Risk Report
Environmental Report
Regulated Local Authority
£325 INC VAT
Order a Search Bundle
Caragh is an excellent writer and copy editor of books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey, property law and mortgage-related articles.
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