What are conveyancing searches?

When buying a property, conveyancing searches are essential checks that reveal hidden issues before you commit to the purchase.

In this guide, we'll explain which searches you need, what they cost, how long they take and what problems they typically uncover.

Conveyancing searches are one of the key tasks that your conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor will arrange as part of the conveyancing process. They are enquiries and checks that your conveyancer makes to third parties that store information about the property you are buying, such as local authorities, water companies, environmental agencies and other organisations.

Your solicitor arranges the searches on your behalf. Conveyancing searches are designed to tell you, the buyer, as much as possible about the property before you commit to buying, especially in terms of any potential risk that is not immediately visible.

Usually, the searches will begin once your offer has been accepted by the seller. It's worth following the recommendations for searches that your conveyancer makes. This is because the information they provide can lead to you renegotiating your offer or even causing you to decide not to go ahead with the purchase.

Conveyancers conduct several key property searches when you're buying a home. These include essential searches required on nearly all purchases, along with additional searches recommended based on the property's location and characteristics.

Each search can reveal important insights, such as whether there are any development plans that could negatively impact your property, or if the land is prone to flooding.

A range of property searches can be conducted, some of which are mandatory when purchasing with a mortgage. Others are optional, but may be worth considering depending on the specific property you're planning to buy.

Local authority search

A Local Authority Search is one of the most important searches, providing detailed information about the property and its surrounding area. This search consists of two main parts: LLC1 and CON29.

LLC1 results: These results reveal whether the property is:

• A listed building
• Located in a conservation area
• Situated in a tree preservation order area
• Eligible for improvement or renovation grants
• In a smoke control area

CON29 results: This part provides information about:

• Future road and traffic schemes
• Planning decisions affecting the property
• Building regulations compliance
• Land contamination risks
• Whether the property is in a radon-affected area

The CON29 form may also include additional details, such as road proposals by private companies or environmental pollution notices. This search is essential for identifying any potential changes in the area that could affect your property in the future.

Water and drainage search

A water and drainage search confirms whether the property's sewers, drains and piping are maintained by the local water company. This search will reveal:

• The proximity of the property to public sewers
• Whether the property has a sewer running within its boundaries
• If the drainage system is connected to the public system

For first time buyers, this search is critical as it uncovers any potential issues with the property's drainage and water supply infrastructure.

Environmental search

An Environmental Search investigates the historical use of the land and any environmental risks that could impact the property. This search identifies:

• Risk of landslips or subsidence
• Contaminated land from past industrial use or waste sites
• The likelihood of flooding from nearby rivers or coastal areas

Knowing these risks can help you determine whether additional inspections or repairs are needed before proceeding with the purchase.

Chancel repair liability search

If the property is within a parish, you may be liable to contribute to church repairs. The chancel repair liability search helps determine whether this liability applies to the property.

This information is recorded by the Land Registry and stored in the Title Register database. Therefore, if you purchase or inherit a property within a church parish, it's important to check whether you're responsible for contributing to the cost of church repairs.

If you're buying a property with a mortgage, conveyancing searches are a requirement. If you are a cash buyer, you don't have to carry out any searches, but it's likely that you'll be recommended to do so by your conveyancing solicitor.

The reason they are so important, whether you're buying with a mortgage or cash, is that they paint a picture about the property. They are designed to flag any issues, reduce risks and help you to decide if you want to proceed with your purchase.

What happens without the searches?

Without carrying out conveyancing searches, there are several issues that can happen with the property you've bought. These include:

Debts

Without carrying out conveyancing searches, you could end up footing the bill for any debts that are attached to the property. If your solicitor carries out the relevant searches, these debts can be resolved before you complete the purchase.

Flooding

In recent years, we've seen the impact of floods on properties across the UK. If the house you're buying is in an area that's a flood risk, you might find it difficult to get it insured. The searches will reveal whether it's likely to flood or not and what risks are associated with it.

Hidden problems

Searches will also show up issues, such as if there's a covered mineshaft in the garden or if the property was built on a site of historical risk. By getting this information early on, you can avoid unexpected issues such as having a hole in your garden, residing on a flood plain and can even forewarn you about risks of subsidence.

Planning permission issues

Your new house could be in the perfect location that suits your lifestyle. However, planning permission is often granted for anything from a block of new flats that could obscure your view to a new train line that could make commuting into town easier for you. These changes to the local area could impact the price of the property or make you think twice about the purchase.

Contaminated land

It may be that the property has been built close to a chemical works, which means there's a risk of pollution that you need to account for. It could even be that the property is built on potentially contaminated land. Without the necessary searches, you won't be aware of this and you could find, for example, that your water supply is polluted but not know the cause.

If you're a first time buyer, conveyancing searches are particularly important as you're likely making the biggest financial commitment of your life without previous property buying experience.

First time buyers often have tighter budgets and less flexibility to absorb unexpected costs. The cost of searches (typically £250-400 total) is minimal compared to the financial risk of buying a property with hidden issues. If you're buying with a mortgage, your lender will insist on searches being completed before they release funds.

What if searches reveal problems?

Finding issues during searches isn't the end of your purchase. You have several options:

• Renegotiate the price to account for remediation costs
• Ask the seller to fix the issue before completion
• Walk away from the purchase (before exchange, with no financial penalty)
• Accept the risk and proceed (if the issue is minor)

Your conveyancer will help you understand what any issues mean and guide you on the best course of action.

How Homeward Legal helps first time buyers

We understand that navigating searches can feel overwhelming when you're buying your first home. Our conveyancers explain search results in plain English, recommend only the searches you actually need and include our standard search bundle in your fixed legal fee. We also offer Search Plus Protection to protect your investment if your purchase falls through.

Typically, property conveyancing searches can take around two to three weeks. However, they can be as quick as 48 hours or take as much as 10 weeks.

The timescales depend on whether the initial searches lead to your solicitor making additional enquiries and the individual local authority.

Can I do anything to speed up the search process?

While a lot of the conveyancing search process is out of your hands, there are a couple of ways you can get the ball rolling quickly. First, be sure to instruct your solicitor to start searches as soon as your offer is accepted.

Also, be sure to let your solicitor know as much as possible about the area. While they'll know the area well, if you've heard that there are plans for a new road to be built, for example, you're likely to provide them with useful information to help with the search process.

For first time buyers wondering how long conveyancing takes, searches typically represent 2-3 weeks of your overall timeline. The good news is that searches happen early in the process, so any issues are discovered before you've invested too much time and emotion into the purchase.

Depending on the location and specifics of the property, your conveyancer may recommend additional searches, including:

Commons registration search

Required if the property is adjacent to common land, village greens or rural areas. This search ensures that there are no restrictions on how the land can be used.

Land charges search

This search is relevant for unregistered land and uncovers any legal restrictions, including bankruptcy proceedings, mortgages or estate contracts attached to the land.

Mining search

If the property is in an area with a history of mining, a mining search will reveal whether the ground is stable or if there's a risk of subsidence.

The cost of the searches that are carried out depend on how many your conveyancing solicitor needs to do and whether your lender requests any.

The standard local authority searches can cost anything from £50 to £250 and they vary by council, so it's worth looking into the average cost in the area you're buying in. Additional searches, such as the environmental search, can depend on how much land you're buying.

First time buyers should factor search costs into their budget from the outset. While the cost might seem high when you're already paying for conveyancing fees, deposits and stamp duty, searches are a small price to pay for peace of mind on what's likely your biggest purchase.

If you're receiving a gifted deposit from family, make sure your budget includes search costs as well as the legal fees and disbursements.

Homeward Legal Search Bundle provides a single, fixed price for all essential property searches needed in a standard conveyancing transaction.

This bundle offer simplifies the process, making it easier and more affordable for buyers to access required property information. This approach saves time and allows you to budget effectively knowing you will not have to pay more than what we have quoted for the standard searches.

Navigating conveyancing searches is essential for making informed decisions when buying a property. These searches uncover critical information about your future home and help safeguard against potential issues.

At Homeward Legal, our expert team ensures that you understand every step, from required searches to any potential risks.

For first time buyers, we provide additional support and guidance throughout the search process, explaining results in plain English and helping you understand what everything means for your purchase. Our first time buyer conveyancing service is designed to give you confidence at every stage.

With the added benefit of our Search Plus Protection, we make the process even smoother, offering peace of mind for your property purchase.

If you have any questions about conveyancing searches, contact Homeward Legal today on for reliable, professional guidance on your conveyancing journey or get a quick online quote.