As part of the house buying process, your legal representative will undertake several ‘searches’ on your behalf. The cost of these searches will be charged back to you as expenses (disbursements).
The searches undertaken may include some or all of the following, dependent on the property’s location and age. They are;
Local authority searches:
These cost between £70 and £400 depending on the Local Authority and usually takes about 14 days to be completed. However, with some local authorities it can take longer. The search will check whether there are any proposed developments in the immediate vicinity that might affect your property. Is a new road planned? Is there a landfill nearby? For more information see our Blog, 'What is a local Authority Search?'.
Environmental Search:
You can check flood risk at the Land Registry or obtain a more detailed environmental search. You may also want to check that the land is not contaminated or close to environmental hazards. Most searches are ‘desktop’ searches of known environmental issues, although if you are concerned, you can commission intrusive ground surveys and actually test the soil. These are expensive and with most homes, especially new homes, this is usually unnecessary. The ‘desktop’ environmental search usually costs about £60 - £80.
Water Authority Search:
This usually costs £50 - £75 and will let you know if drains are located close to your property. It’ll also tell you how you get your water.
Chancel Repair Search:
This costs around £18. There are some medieval rights held by churches that require homes to pay for the maintenance of the church and buildings! You can take insurance for this risk for about the same cost as the search.
Mining Search:
If in an established historic mining area then a mining search is critical. You want to know if your house is built on or near old mine workings.
In addition to formal searches, enquiries might be made of Local Authorities and/or the seller. Enquiries of the seller are called ‘enquiries before contract’ and might ask about boundary walls, noisy neighbours and similar topics.
For more information on property searches, contact Mortgage Required on 01628 507477.
Recent posts
Pros and Cons of Equity Release
Yesterday
Equity release is a type of mortgage that allows homeowners 55 and over to access money from their property's equity without having to leave their home. This is done by securing a loan against the house which is usually repaid by selling the property when the borrower passes away or has to move into long-term care.
Your House Viewing Checklist
2 days ago
It’s important to ask questions about the property you are interested in before taking that step to make an offer. A little probing can make all the difference between buying your dream house or something that requires a lot of work.
Half of over 60s predicted to benefit from accessing housing wealth through Equity Release
5 days ago
There are millions of homeowners over the age of 60 who are likely to release money from their homes to pay for their lifestyle during retirement giving those who are 'asset rich but cash poor' a way to live out their retirement the way they wish.
Average Age of the First Time Buyer in the UK
12 days ago
The average age of a first-time buyer in the UK is two years older than 10 years ago. This is understandable with managing the cost-of-living and challenges within the economy such as high interest rates making it difficult to get onto the property ladder.
Delayed Start Mortgage from Skipton
14 days ago
Skipton Building Society launches ‘Delayed Start’ mortgage meaning first time buyers won’t be required to make repayments for the first three months.
According to a survey by Skipton, first time buyers who bought their home in the last five years found that in the first three months of living there, they were spending upwards of £30,000.
Gardening Tips for Beginners
19 days ago
If you have recently moved into a property with a garden that requires a little TLC, or you’d like to get on top of your current green space, check out our tips.
The Family-Backed Mortgage from NatWest
22 days ago
High street lender, NatWest, have launched a new product to help first-time buyers purchase a property with assistance from a family member or friend to get them on the property ladder sooner.
The Impact of Klarna on Mortgage Applications
23 days ago
‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) schemes, such as ‘Klarna’ are short-term loans that allow shoppers to make a purchase, but delay paying for it for an agreed amount of time.
Klarna is one of the most popular BNPL services with 18 million customers in the UK alone, and offers interest-free payment options which is appealing to shoppers. However, does it affect a mortgage application?
More information
Trusted by
