Our short answer is usually – “yes!”
When you buy a property, you’re not just buying the building—you are buying everything that comes with the land, including legal responsibilities, rights, hidden issues, and potential risks. Property searches protect you from unpleasant surprises after you move in.
Without searches, you could unknowingly buy a property affected by serious hidden risks.
What are Property Searches?
Property searches are checks your solicitor or conveyancer carries out with relevant authorities to uncover issues that might affect the property.
Searches do not inspect the building itself — they investigate legal, environmental, and planning risks.
Are Searches Mandatory?
If you are obtaining a mortgage with your purchase, your lender will require searches. Your lender will not release funds unless certain searches are done as they need to know the property is a safe investment, not just for yourself but for themselves too.
If you are a cash buyer, you are not legally required to obtain searches, however, it is strongly advised you do apply for searches just in case you do miss an issue – because searches protect you and not just the bank. Searches are usually worth the cost for peace of mind and future resale protection.
What are the main type of Searches?
- Local authority search
- Planning permissions
- Building regulation approvals
- Road adoption status
- Enforcement notices
- Nearby planned developments
- Environmental Search
- Flood risk
- Land contamination
- Ground stability issues
- Proximity to landfill sites
- Water & Drainage Search
- Confirms:
- Connection to mains water and sewer
- Public drains within the boundary (which may restrict building work)
- Other searches which are location specific include – mining searches, chancel repair liability and flood specific reports
How much do searches cost?
Typically £250–£400 in total, but that would depend on which searches have been undertaken.
We do highly advise you to obtain searches when purchasing a property, but ultimately the decision is yours!
