Conveyancing searches
Property searches when buying a house: what each one checks
Property searches are the legal and public-record checks your conveyancer orders after your offer is accepted. They do not replace a survey: searches explain what public records, statutory bodies, the title and utility records say about the land. The survey explains the physical condition of the building.
This hub explains the search pack as a set. The child pages cover individual searches and report types, while flood, contaminated land, radon and coal mining stay on their deeper risk guides.
Last updated: 31 May 2026. Editorially reviewed: 31 May 2026.
Tool shortcut
Check the property before you offer
Flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, schools, transport, broadband, tenure, age, listed status and price checks where data is available.
Run a free previewThe usual search pack
Most purchases in England and Wales start with three core searches: local authority, environmental, and drainage and water. Your conveyancer may add extra searches based on the property, location, lender and title, such as chancel repair liability, coal mining, commons registration, planning, flood or tin mining searches.
Mortgage lenders normally expect search results or an acceptable search indemnity route before funds are released. Cash buyers can technically choose fewer searches, but skipping them moves the public-record risk onto the buyer.
What searches can and cannot tell you
Searches can reveal local authority records, statutory notices, road adoption, public sewer position, environmental screening flags, title restrictions and rights. They cannot tell you whether the roof leaks, whether the electrics are safe, whether drains are cracked, or whether the seller has been fully honest. Those points need a survey, specialist inspection, seller enquiries and insurance checks.
The practical way to read searches is to ask: does this result change the price, the lender's appetite, the insurance position, your intended use, or your willingness to proceed?
When to read the deeper risk pages
A search may flag a risk family without giving enough detail for a buyer decision. That is where the deeper risk pages belong. For example, an environmental search may mention flood, contaminated land, radon or coal mining. The search result is the trigger; the detailed buyer decision belongs on the specific risk page.
Source and search scope
| Source | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Local authority search | Planning, building control, local land charges, enforcement, road schemes, conservation constraints and adopted highway information. |
| Environmental search | Screening report for land contamination, flood data, ground stability, landfill, radon and other environmental datasets. |
| Drainage and water search | Water company records showing mains water, foul and surface-water drainage, public sewers, build-over concerns and billing basis. |
| Title and specialist searches | Land Registry title, easements, restrictive covenants, chancel liability and location-specific reports such as mining or commons searches. |
What the result means
Clear or no adverse entries
No obvious search issue in that source. It does not prove the property is risk-free; it means the checked record did not raise a current issue.
Further action or refer
Your conveyancer needs to raise enquiries, order a follow-up report, obtain insurance, ask the lender, or get seller evidence before exchange.
Adverse entry
The result affects use, value, mortgageability, insurance or future works. The usual response is evidence, consent, indemnity, price adjustment or withdrawal.
Buyer and lender implications
- Mortgage lenders care most about unresolved legal restrictions, unacceptable title defects, missing access rights, unadopted-road maintenance risk, environmental liabilities and insurance availability.
- Buyers should care about practical use: whether you can extend, park, access, insure, mortgage, drain, renovate or resell the home without unexpected cost.
- Do not exchange until your conveyancer has reported on search results in writing and explained any lender condition.
Questions to ask your solicitor
- 1Which searches have been ordered for this property, and why were any optional searches skipped?
- 2Are any results marked further action, referred, adverse, or requiring lender notification?
- 3Do any results affect my intended use, extension plans, insurance, mortgage offer or resale?
- 4Is indemnity insurance being suggested because the risk is low, or because evidence is missing?
- 5Are any searches older than the lender will accept?
Deeper risk pages
Use these when a search flags the specific risk. This keeps the search page focused on the report and the risk page focused on the buyer decision.
- Flood risk when buyingUse when a search or public flood map flags river, sea, surface-water or reservoir risk.
- Contaminated land when buyingUse when the environmental report flags historic land use, landfill or Part 2A concern.
- Radon risk when buyingUse when the search says the property is in a radon-affected area.
- Coal mining riskUse when the property is in a coalfield or a CON29M mining report is recommended.
Related conveyancing search guides
Run the check on this address
MyPropertyScan does not replace conveyancing searches. It gives you a pre-offer public-data preview so you can ask better questions before spending money on legal work, searches and surveys.
Run the check
Check the property before you offer
Flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, schools, transport, broadband, tenure, age, listed status and price checks where data is available.
Run a free previewFrequently asked questions
Are property searches the same as a survey?
No. Searches check records held by local authorities, Land Registry, water companies and data providers. A survey checks the physical condition of the building. You usually need both.
Which property searches are normally needed when buying?
The usual starting pack is local authority, environmental, and drainage and water. Your conveyancer may add title-specific or location-specific searches such as chancel, mining, commons or flood reports.
Can I skip searches as a cash buyer?
A cash buyer is not bound by a lender's search requirements, but skipping searches means accepting legal and public-record risks without evidence. It is rarely sensible unless your solicitor gives a clear reason.
How should I use search results before exchange?
Ask your conveyancer to summarise every adverse or further-action result, whether the lender must be told, what evidence or insurance resolves it, and whether it changes your price or walk-away point.
Editorial review
Editorial owner: BiteRight Ltd, operator of MyPropertyScan. We review buyer guides against UK public property datasets, RICS survey wording, lender requirements, and common buyer questions.
Pages are updated when source coverage, property-risk guidance, survey cost assumptions, or product checks materially change. Methodology and dataset limitations are explained on the MyPropertyScan methodology page.
Sources used
We use UK public and specialist sources where they are available. Public datasets can be incomplete, delayed, or missing for some addresses. Treat them as a starting point, not as a replacement for professional advice.
Source standard: preference goes to official government datasets, statutory bodies, professional standards, and primary dataset publishers. We cite the source family on the page and explain coverage limits rather than filling gaps with unsupported estimates.
General information only. Not legal, mortgage, insurance or surveying advice. Always confirm search results with your own conveyancer, lender, insurer and surveyor before exchange. MyPropertyScan is operated by BiteRight Ltd.