Property Searches in Conveyancing, What They Check, How Long They Take, and Why They Delay Sales

What Are Property Searches?

Property searches are enquiries made to official bodies during conveyancing to establish whether there are any issues affecting the property that would not be apparent from a physical inspection or from reviewing the title documents. They are distinct from a survey, a survey examines the physical condition of the building; searches investigate legal, environmental, and regulatory matters.

Most lenders require a full set of searches before issuing a formal mortgage offer. Even in a cash purchase, searches are strongly advisable, many sellers' solicitors will insist on them, and the buyer's solicitor has a professional duty to recommend them.

Who Orders the Searches?

The buyer's solicitor orders searches on the buyer's behalf, typically shortly after the contract pack is received from the seller's solicitor. The costs are paid by the buyer as a disbursement (out-of-pocket expense on top of the solicitor's legal fee). In practice, the buyer's solicitor requests a search deposit early in the transaction to cover these costs.

The Core Four Searches

1. Local Authority Search (CON29 and LLC1)

The most important and usually the slowest search. It is made up of two parts:

**LLC1, Local Land Charges Register:** Records any charges or restrictions registered against the land, including listed building status, conservation area designation, tree preservation orders, and planning conditions.

**CON29, Enquiries of Local Authority:** Covers a broader range of planning and highway information, including:

• Planning applications and decisions affecting the property (within the past five years)
• Whether the roads serving the property are maintained at public expense
• Any proposed road schemes nearby
• Notices issued by the local authority (e.g. enforcement notices, compulsory purchase orders)
• Contaminated land designation
• Radon gas classification

**How long it takes:** This is the most variable search. Electronic searches (available in some areas) are returned in 1–5 days. Manual searches submitted to the council can take anywhere from 3 days to 8 weeks depending on the local authority's backlog. Councils such as Birmingham and Manchester have historically run long queues; rural councils are often faster.

**Cost:** £100–£350 depending on the local authority.

**What problems can it reveal?**

• An enforcement notice for an unauthorised extension
• A proposed compulsory purchase of part of the garden
• The driveway not being adopted highway (meaning maintenance falls on the owner)
• Listed building or conservation area status the buyer was not aware of

2. Water and Drainage Search (CON29DW)

Made to the relevant water authority (Anglian Water, Thames Water, etc.), this search confirms:

• Whether the property is connected to the public mains water supply and public sewers
• The location of any public sewers within the boundary of the property
• Whether any public sewer runs through the property (which can restrict building works)
• The location of water pipes

**How long it takes:** Usually 2–10 working days. Mostly electronic, so faster than local authority searches.

**Cost:** £25–£60.

**What problems can it reveal?**

• A public sewer running under the garden that could prevent a proposed extension
• The property not being connected to mains drainage (relevant for properties in rural areas using septic tanks)
• Adoption status of sewers on new-build estates

3. Environmental Search

Produced by private data providers (such as Groundsure, Argyll, or Landmark), the environmental search draws on Environment Agency and other datasets to assess:

• Flood risk (from rivers, surface water, groundwater, and reservoirs)
• Contaminated land, whether the site is registered as contaminated or built on former industrial land
• Ground stability and subsidence risk (relevant in areas with mining history, clay soils, or natural cavities)
• Proximity to landfill sites
• Radon gas potential

**How long it takes:** Usually 1–5 days (mostly electronic).

**Cost:** £30–£60.

**What problems can it reveal?**

• High flood risk making insurance difficult or expensive
• Former uses of the land (petrol station, dry cleaner, factory) suggesting possible contamination
• Mining-related ground instability
• High radon levels requiring a radon barrier or sump

Note: Property Passport UK displays flood zone classification for every indexed property, giving buyers an early indication of flood risk before conveyancing begins.

4. Coal Mining Search

Required in areas with a history of coal mining, this search is made to the Coal Authority (or a licensed data provider) and reveals:

• Whether the property lies within an area of coal mining activity
• Any recorded mine entries (shafts, adits) near the property
• Whether the surface has been affected by past subsidence
• Whether the property falls within a zone of potential influence

**How long it takes:** Usually 1–5 days.

**Cost:** £30–£50.

**Required in:** Former coalfield areas including County Durham, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, South Wales, and parts of the East Midlands. Your solicitor will know whether it is required based on the postcode.

**What problems can it reveal?**

• Recorded mine entries beneath or near the property
• Ground movement records that may affect the structure
• Areas requiring specialist coal mining insurance

Additional Searches

Chancel Repair Liability

A curious anachronism. In some parishes in England and Wales, the owner of certain land, derived from the abolition of monasteries under Henry VIII, is liable to contribute to the cost of repairing the chancel of the local parish church. This liability can attach to land without any reference in the title register.

Since 2013, chancel repair liability must be registered as a local land charge to be enforceable against a purchaser for value. However, chancel repair insurance is inexpensive (typically £15–£30) and widely taken out as a precaution.

Drainage and Mining Searches (Other)

In areas near former tin, copper, or limestone workings, additional specialist mining searches may be required. Your solicitor should advise based on the location.

Commons Registration Search

Checks whether any part of the land is registered as common land or a town/village green, relevant for properties with unusual plots or garden extensions near open land.

Why Searches Delay Sales

The single biggest cause of search-related delay is the **local authority search**. Councils do not all operate at the same speed. A council with a three-day electronic search turnaround and a council with a six-week manual backlog serve the same conveyancing process, but create very different timelines.

Common reasons for delays:

• High volume at the local authority (councils do not scale their search teams with market activity)
• Manual processing required because the electronic search system does not cover the area
• Complex properties (e.g. commercial elements, unusual tenure) requiring additional enquiries
• Missing or incomplete information on the search request

**What sellers can do:** You cannot order the buyer's searches for them, but you can:

• Ensure your solicitor has sent the contract pack promptly so the buyer's solicitor can order searches immediately
• Ask your estate agent to confirm that the buyer's solicitor has been instructed and searches ordered, this is a normal progress-chasing step

**What buyers can do:**

• Instruct your solicitor as soon as an offer is accepted
• Ask your solicitor to order searches on the day they receive the contract pack
• In slow areas, ask your solicitor about search insurance (which allows searches to be skipped in favour of an insurance policy) if the timetable is critical

Search Results and Sale Delays

When a search returns a problem, it creates a chain of events: the buyer's solicitor raises an enquiry; the seller's solicitor responds; the buyer may want the issue resolved or a reduction in price. Each exchange of correspondence takes days or weeks.

Common issues that generate enquiries:

• An enforcement notice for an unauthorised extension
• A public sewer running within 3 metres of the property
• Medium or high flood risk requiring specialist insurance
• An outstanding notice under a housing act

The best way to avoid search-related surprises is for sellers to be aware of their property's known characteristics before listing, and to deal with any resolvable issues (such as regularising an unauthorised extension) before a buyer commences searches.

Property Passport UK gives sellers and buyers early access to environmental and flood risk data before conveyancing begins, reducing the chance of a search result causing a late-stage surprise.