When purchasing a property, conducting thorough due diligence is crucial to ensure you know exactly what you’re buying. Among the different checks, conveyancing searches are essential as they uncover any potential issues that could affect the value or usability of the property. Here are six key conveyancing searches and why they are vital in the property buying process.
Local Authority Searches
Local authority searches provide a comprehensive look at the official details held by the local council about the property. This search will reveal any planning decisions that affect the property, building control history, whether the road servicing the property is publicly maintained, and any local policies or issues that could impact the property. Understanding these elements is crucial to avoid any unpleasant surprises after your purchase.
Land Registry Searches
Land Registry searches provide essential information about the property’s legal title and confirm the seller’s ownership, ensuring they have the right to sell the property. This search checks for any liens, restrictions, or third-party rights over the property. By reviewing the title register and title plan from the Land Registry, potential buyers can verify the property boundaries and any rights or responsibilities that come with the property.
Environmental Searches
Environmental searches assess the risk of contamination and other environmental issues in the property area. They will inform you if the property is on or near former industrial sites, landfills, or other potentially contaminative uses. These searches also check for risks of flooding, radon, and subsidence. Given the increasing awareness and regulation around environmental matters, this search is crucial for a safe and sound investment. Read about environmental searches in more detail here.
Water Authority Searches
Water authority searches determine how your property is connected to the public water supply and sewage system and whether any public drains on the property might affect future building works. Water authority searches can highlight potential costs or complications related to water services.
Location-Specific Searches
Depending on where the property is located, there may be additional searches required. If the property is in a mining area, a mining search would be necessary to check for any subsidence risk or past mining activities that could affect the property’s integrity. Coastal properties might require specific searches regarding coastal erosion or rights of way. For a one stop shop for news and information in the housing market, visit a trusted conveyancing site such as https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news.
Chancel Repair Searches
Although less common, chancel repair liability can be an issue, particularly with older properties. This liability could require property owners to contribute towards repairs of the local parish church, which can amount to quite significant sums. A chancel repair search will confirm whether the property is liable.