When you are looking to buy a property, the chances are high that you won’t know every single thing about that property. You may have viewed the property, but a viewing alone probably will not tell you if there is anything from a legal standpoint which may decrease its value in the future.

This is where “searches” come in and there are three main ones that most solicitors will obtain namely:

1. A local authority search – this is a set of questions sent to the local council to check on various matters such as whether the road outside the property is public, whether any alterations to the property have the correct planning documents or whether there might be public projects in the vicinity that could affect your enjoyment of the property
2. A water and drainage search – this not only tells you if the property is on mains water and drainage but also where any pipes might be on your property which in turn could affect any future extension plans you may have
3. An environmental search – the last thing you want is to find that your property is built on an old tip as this could cause you all sorts of problems, particularly from a health and re-sale point of view. These searches often cover other aspects such as flooding, planning in the area and other environmental aspects

Your conveyancer will go through the results of the searches and produce a report of their findings. They will flag anything of concern to you, so you have full knowledge over how to proceed.