Conveyancing searches (also called 'property searches') are checks your conveyancer carries out when you buy a home. They gather information from the local authority and other sources to highlight any risks or issues that could affect the property or the surrounding area. These are key enquiries need when buying a house.
Common searches include a local authority search (planning, building regulations, road schemes), an environmental search (flood risk, contamination, radon), a water and drainage search (sewer and mains connections), and a title search (legal ownership check).
Searches are classed as disbursements, which means they’re third-party fees paid on your behalf by your solicitor. They make up part of your overall conveyancing fees and are essential to uncover any risks before you commit to buying a property.
Who Needs Conveyancing Searches?
If you’re buying a house with a mortgage, then your mortgage lender will require your conveyancer to carry out searches as they will be securing the debt against the property.
If you’re buying a house with cash, then you can decide how many or how few conveyancing searches you have. It’s recommended to have conveyancing searches carried out as they'll highlight problems before you commit to the purchase. If any issues arise, you can decide whether or not to resolve them immediately or to pull out of the sale altogether.
Which Conveyancing Searches Do I Need?
These are the three most common conveyancing searches your solicitor will apply for:
Local Authority Search
Local Authority Searches look into the local area and land the property resides on. There are two parts to this search: the LLC1 and the CON29. These local searches cover the following:
Local Land Charges Register Search (LLC1)
- Conditional planning permission
- Planning agreements
- If the property is a listed building (this is important for older buildings)
- Whether it’s situated in a conservation area
- If it’s located in a tree preservation order area
- If the property has any financial charges registered against it
- Any required improvement or renovation grant
- If the property is within a smoke control zone
Enquiries of the Local Authority (CON29)
- Proposals for new road schemes, traffic and rail schemes near the property
- Planning decisions that can impact the property or the surrounding area
- Radon Gas Levels
- Whether the property has been built on contaminated land
- Subsidence risks
- Energy and infrastructure checks
Environmental Search
An environmental search will let you know whether the property has been built on potentially contaminated land and will highlight if there is a flood risk.
Environmental searches will look at:
The history of the uses of land in the vicinity of the property.
Whether there are traces of toxic waste or radon gas nearby.
Identifying if there’s a flood risk in the area.
Identifying the risk of subsidence.
Drainage and Water Search
A drainage and water search will also be carried out by your conveyancer and will provide information on the location of sewers that serve the property. It will confirm whether the property is connected to the mains water supply. Your conveyancer must carry out a drainage and water search to highlight any major issues before you commit to the sale.
Drainage and water searches will highlight the following:
Information on the water supply company
Diagram of public water assets and sewage mains and their location relating to the property
Water meter and billing information
Where the water for the property comes from
Location of public drains on the property (if applicable)
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Are There Additional Conveyancing Searches?
Local authority, environmental and drainage and water searches are the most popular conveyancing searches and can usually be purchased as a package from your conveyancer. However, depending on the area the property is in, your conveyancer may need to enquire about further information. Therefore make sure to get multiple quotes from different conveyancers to compare prices.
Flood Search
A flood search will inform you if the property and area are at risk of flooding. Your conveyancer will suggest a Flood Risk Indicator report which costs £9 from the Land Registry.
Chancel Repair Search
If there's a church near your property, a chancel repair search will find out whether you're liable for the church’s repairs and maintenance. Your conveyancer can order a Chancel Check search, which costs about £57 plus VAT. Property Able estimates that these searches will take around 5-10 days to complete.
Mining Search
If you are buying in a mining area, a mining search will provide vital information on the history of mining near the property and if this affects the house. Properties built on old mining grounds are at risk of a variety of costly issues, especially subsidence. The Gov.UK website states that the report will typically take 1-3 days to be completed and sent to your conveyancer.
Bankruptcy Search
A bankruptcy search (K16 search) confirms whether a buyer is bankrupt or has a history of bankruptcy. It’s essential for mortgage purchases, as lenders require proof you can meet repayments.
Your conveyancer carries out this check through the Land Registry portal, a quick process usually completed within hours. The search costs around £3 per name and is valid for 3 weeks, which is why it’s classed as one of the essential pre-completion searches carried out just before completion.
How Much Do Conveyancing Searches Cost?
Searches are classed as disbursements, which means they’re third-party fees paid on your behalf by your solicitor. They make up part of your overall conveyancing fees and are essential to uncover any risks before you commit to buying a property.
Conveyancers will usually offer a search package with the three main searches. The price can range from £230 to £358 but will vary by location, solicitor's fees and the number of searches you need.
Ensure you budget for these as part of your initial home-buying costs as they are paid upfront, before any other legal or service charges.
We've included a few of the individual costs for the many types of conveyancing searches available.
| Conveyancing Search | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Local Authority Search | £64 – £290 |
| Environmental Search | £30 – £48 |
| Drainage and Water Search | £45 – £85 |
| Flood Search | £20 - £50 |
| Chancel Repair Search | £20 – £108 |
| Mining Search | £25 – £120 |
| Bankruptcy Search | £3 per name |
Prices are based on our cost data, received directly from user feedback.
How Long Do Conveyancing Searches Take?
Local Authority searches can take anywhere from 10 days to several months. Drainage and water, environmental, flood, mining and chancel repair searches can take between 1 and 10 days.
Our research shows that Plymouth City Council takes the longest to complete a Local Land Search, taking 36 days on average, while it only takes 21 days for Tewkesbury Borough Council to return searches.
It’s important to note that the turnaround for conveyancing search results can range from a few days to several weeks depending on how fast the relevant authority acts and how many they carry out per month.
What Can Delay Searches?
You might have a delay in receiving the results from the searches if your local authority is yet to use an electronic system. This will slow down the process by a few weeks. However, most local authorities have or are in the process of using an online system with the rise of online conveyancing.
If your searches reveal anything worrying, your conveyancer might have to order further searches which will delay the process. They sometimes might recommend taking out indemnity insurance for peace of mind in certain situations.
How Long Does it Take to Exchange After Searches?
It takes anywhere from 1-3 weeks to exchange after conveyancing searches. Your conveyancing searches should be returned and approved prior to exchanging contracts, so you have time to raise queries.
Following the exchange of contracts, your solicitor will also carry out pre-completion searches. These ensure that the buyer can still afford to purchase the property.
Hiring a Conveyancer
Enlisting an expert to handle the legal side of your property transaction is essential to a smooth conveyancing process. A conveyancer can arrange the searches and send you the reports with their comments. This allows you to make an informed decision on the purchase and how to proceed.
We understand how important it is to find the best legal aspect when buying a house. At Compare My Move, we can connect you with up to 5 conveyancing solicitors to save you up to 70% on your costs.
For added peace of mind, our conveyancing partners undergo a strict verification process and are regulated by either the SRA, CLC, LSS, LSNI or CILEx.
