What Searches are Done During Conveyancing?

If you’re starting your home-buying journey, it’s likely you have questions about conveyancing. How long will it take? What searches are done during conveyancing, and how will they affect you? Don’t worry – we’re here to shed some light on the process. First off, we’ll start with a quick overview.

How conveyancing works

When you want to buy a property, you’ll want to find a solicitor or conveyancer. They will help you complete the legal transfer of the property to you. Once you appoint a conveyancer, they will run searches on your behalf. They’ll also advise you of any costs you might expect to pay, like Stamp Duty, and then they’ll pay those fees on your behalf (which you’ll reimburse) and update the Land Registry. It can be costly, of course. With the average conveyancing fee in the UK around £850 – which increases the more expensive the property – it’s important to shop around. We can help with that. But don’t be tempted to undertake conveyancing on your own. There are a load of costly problems you could overlook simply due to lack of experience. Perhaps the land next door is zoned for a recycling plant, or there’s an existing boundary dispute. Maybe the planning permission that was promised is actually still just pending. You don’t want to be caught out, so make sure to hire the most experienced conveyancer you can find.

Conveyancing searches

The cost of these searches may be charged back as a separate line item, so be sure to check first. However, they’re vital in keeping you from making costly buying errors. You could categorise searches as legality and hazard checks. Some ensure the seller is permitted to sell to you, and others make sure there’s nothing environmental that should prevent the sale. Common checks are:

• Local authority searches – These checks will ensure there are no current or future plans that should concern a buyer. This could include checking for waste disposal, gas, motorway plans, mining, public paths, pipelines, common land, noise levels, traffic calming measures, and networking.
• Flood risk – While this can be combined with an Environmental Search, it is recommended as a bare minimum that you ensure you’re not purchasing a home in a flood zone.
• Title check – Completed with the Land Registry, these documents prove the seller has the right to sell. A conveyancer must check the Title Register and Title Plan to proceed with the sale.
• Water Authority – This will help you get info about public drainage and water supply, which can be a vital aspect of planning permission for external building works.
• Chancel repair check –This search checks that a buyer won't be liable to pay for the maintenance of the local church, a practice that dates back to the 16th century and Henry VIII's establishment of the Church of England. Some homes are subject to a liability to contribute towards the costs of maintaining and repairing the local parish church. Have a chancel check done to prevent having unexpected costs down the line.
• Environmental searches - Done by Landmark or Groundsure, you’ll get info about any contamination, landfills, flooding, radon gas, stability, industry, and any other related environmental issues that would affect your purchase. It’s highly recommended, as some issues prevent residential occupation.

What are the risks of not completing searches?

In a word? Devastating. If contamination is ever found and the original culprit can’t be located, you’ll be on the hook. You may be unaware of high levels of radon gas which require expensive abatement, or you’d miss the opportunity to object to a planning permission request for an overlooking extension or rezoning of a neighbours property into a care home. According to ORJ Law, “it is important to establish whether the property is at risk of flooding, since this can have an adverse impact on insurance premiums, mortgage-ability and property value. If the search reveals a high risk of flooding in the area, enquiries should be made of insurance companies to see if any concerns are raised prior to purchasing the property. The unprecedented flooding and evacuation of properties in York in December 2015 highlights the need for detailed flood information to be obtained prior to a property purchase.” Searches are very important to convey the long-term durability of your investment. In fact, many lenders require a variety of searches before they’ll give you a mortgage, so check with your lender about their policies.

How long does the process take?

In general, expect the process to take 8-12 weeks to complete. This is because of the volume and detail of searches required. The time frames for common searches are:

• Varied for local authority searches. This depends on how busy your local parish is. They could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
• Water, drainage, and environment results should be returned to your conveyancer within 5–10 days of application.
• A chancel search can be as quick as 24 hours.
• The title check can take around 2-3 weeks to complete.

Contracts are usually exchanged around week 8, and completion follows shortly after. Completion day will happen on the completion date agreed by the conveyancers when the contracts are exchanged. The time between the exchange date and the completion date will vary depending on the type of transaction, the personal circumstances of the parties involved and the size of the chain. Completion day is usually 7-14 days after the date of exchanging contracts.

Remember not to get married to this timeline, however; your conveyancer may find some concerning results in the searches and request follow-up information. In the end, these checks are there to protect you, so you want them to be detailed. It’s important to use a conveyancer who has a wealth of experience completing purchases. They’ll know just what checks to advise for your specific situation. And if you need help finding an expert conveyancer, just use our quick and easy tool.