Conveyancing is essential for legally transferring a property from one person to another. This process can be conducted by a licensed conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor. As well as this, your conveyancer will check for any potential problems with the property before you buy it. As the buyer, you should check the sustainability of the property before agreeing to purchase it, which is why these searches are essential for making an informed decision.

Common conveyancing checks

Your conveyancer will carry out a number of searches and checks. This week, we will discuss what these checks are and how they work.

Local Authority Search

A local authority search (LAS) will let you know many things, including if the property is a listed building. It will also check to see if it is located in a conservation area, whether it’s situated in a smoke control zone or if it is subject to planning permissions. It could also inform you if there is anything recorded in the Local Authority registers.

Water and drainage search

This involves checking to see how the property is connected to water supplies and sewer systems. In most cases, it will cover things such as how the water is charged and whether any water mains or public sewers run through the property. This is something you need to know about as it could mean your local council or water company will need access to the mains. This could then affect what changes you can make to the property.

Environmental search

An environmental search involves checking if the land that the property is built on has a history of industrial activity. This can highlight any potential health hazards from contamination in the ground or from water flowing from a nearby industrial site.

Flood report

This determines the risk of flooding in the property, something that can affect your insurance policy and your ability to get a mortgage. It can also affect the value of the property.

Mining search

A mining search, as titled, searches for any evidence of mining activity near or beneath the property in the past. If a mining tunnel isn’t filled in properly, it is at risk of caving which can cause subsidence or damage to the building. Not only can this devalue the property, but it is extremely dangerous!

Chancel repair search

Despite being an ancient Medieval law, churches have the right to demand payments from any property owner where the property is still liable to contribute to the cost of repairs to the chancel of the parish church. These costs could be thousands, but recent law changes mean it is necessary to carry out this search in only a few situations.

Building surveys

While this isn’t always part of the conveyancing process, it is strongly recommended to get a building survey of the property you intend to buy. If a building is older, is a listed building, or you intend to renovate or change the structure, a building survey is essential.

Get expert advice on conveyancing

There are many elements to buying a property, you can find yourself overwhelmed. With the right solicitor, however, the buying process can be made simple. At Betesh Middleton, we’re here to ensure everything runs smoothly, so get in touch to find out more about our services.