If you are purchasing a house with a mortgage, searches are mandatory. The lender is looking to protect their investment in your property, so they need to know if there is anything that would affect their ability to recoup their losses if they were to repossess your property.

If you are a cash buyer, there is no obligation to purchase searches. However, we strongly advise buyers to get searches done – even if you don’t think you need them. This is because although searches cost a few hundred pounds in the short-term, unearthing potential problems before you purchase could help you avoid making a mistake that could cost you hundreds of thousands of pounds (or more) in the long-term.