Have you ever wondered why you need to hire a conveyancer/solicitor during the house buying process? Mortgage advisors cover paperwork and getting to the mortgage offer, so what do I need a conveyancer/solicitor for? Well, although we’d love to take all the credit for getting you to the point of owning your own property, conveyancers are also of paramount importance during the house buying process. They learn more about the actual property, and ensure that it is safe for you to move into/ let out. Here are 5 searches that your conveyancer may set up to ensure that the property you are purchasing is safe.

1. Local Authority search – the local authority search reassures your mortgage lender that the property will not lose it’s value. This is probably the most vital search that your conveyancer will set out.  It is not mandatory that you carry out this search if you are a cash buyer, as it is your own money at risk and not a lender’s, but it is still recommended. This search covers things such as:

- Environmental factors, such as whether your property is on contaminated land.

- Whether the property is in a gas affected area

- Any financial charges registered against the property                                     

- Whether the property has a listed building status

 2. Water & Drainage search – whilst this search is not a legal requirement, it is deemed mandatory. This search covers the property’s connections to the main water supply, public sewers near to the property, and pretty much is done to ensure that you don’t get any nasty water or sewer surprises in your new property. That’s definitely something you’d want to avoid!

3. Environmental search – this sort of ties in with the local authority search, as the Local Authority search does check environmental factors. However, the Environmental search covers more than what’s covered in the Local Authority search. The Environmental search pretty much covers anything that is in the environment, such as whether any pylons and electricity transmissions are located within 500 metres of the property, and anything else that links to: 

- Farming

- Retail

-Emergency services

- Hotels 

- & more.

4. Coal Mining search – A Coal Mining search can tell you if there are any coal mines located within 20 metres of the property. The Coal Mining search will also give you information on where or not your property is affected by gas emissions from the mines, other coal mining hazards reported in the area, and any future plans for the coal mines in your area.

5. Chancel Repair search – These are quite uncommon nowadays, however, sometimes if you purchase property close to a church, the land you have purchased may once have been considered a part of that church. So, if the church is damaged, you could potentially have a legal obligation to pay for certain repairs to that church. The Chancel Repair search will confirm whether or not this is the case for you.

So, whilst us mortgage advisors will cover the paperwork and get you to the mortgage offer, conveyancers cover legalities to make sure your property is in an environment that is safe for you both physically and financially. As I said previously, we’d love to take all the credit, but admittedly Mortgage Advisors and Conveyancers are equally necessary for your house buying process, as the above is just a fraction of what Conveyancers arrange for their clients.

If you’d like to stay informed on what to expect/do in the house buying process, contact us for honest and friendly advice! We also create blog posts like this one weekly, to ensure that we are keeping you up to date with any mortgage news, or just keeping you informed on the financial industry.

Email: enquiries@integraf.co.uk

Phone: 0117 251 0083