Searches
These are investigations carried out as part of the
conveyancing
process to check for proposed plans or problems with the local
area that you should know about.
A Local Authority Search is against your property only and will
tell you little about adjoining properties. It will not, for
example, tell you if the building next to you has planning
permission. What it will show you is if there are any
outstanding financial charges against the property you are
hoping to buy, if there are likely to be any road improvements
within 200 metres of your home, if there are any tree
preservation orders affecting the property, and if the home is
in a conservation area or is a listed building.
This search should also reveal if planning permission was not
granted for an extension or a conservatory. You may apply for
retrospective planning permission, any cost (and it will cost)
should be borne by the seller.
An environmental report on the area will show if there are any
landfill sites, evidence of contamination or previous industrial
usage that could affect your property. It will also show if your
home is in a flood plain or at risk from subsidence.
Other searches may also be required, depending on the area. In
some counties a search on underground workings may be needed -
in Cornwall for old tin workings, in many parts of the country
for coal mining and in Greater London to make sure your future
garden doesn't suddenly become part of the Underground railway.
Enquiries to the seller's Solicitor by your representative
(solicitor or conveyancer) should also show up, among other
issues:
- Whether there are any disputes relating to the property.
- What the boundaries of the property are and who has
responsibility for the maintenance of hedges and fences.
- Whether there is any right of way or footpath
through the property, and what shared rights of access
with a neighbour such as a garden or driveway there may
be.
- Whether the deeds specify that certain things are
forbidden, for example keeping pets, or specifying
that the house may not be painted a different colour
from other houses on the street.
It will only take a few minutes of your time today but
could save you thousands of pounds in interest payments and will
eliminate any worries you may have about getting the best mortgage deal
possible.
