Chapter 5: Buyer's pre-contract searches and enquiries

Question 1

Which three pre-contract searches are always conducted?

Answer 1

1. Local search
2. Drainage and water search
3. Environmental search

Question 2

What is a local search?

Answer 2

Search of information held by local authority.

Question 3

What are the three parts of the local search?

Answer 3

1. Local land charges
2. Enquiries of local authority
3. Optional enquiries of local authority- includes common land and town and village green enquiry

Question 4

What information will a local land charges search reveal?

Answer 4

• General and financial charges owed to the local authority in relation to the property. E.g. local authority has paid fees for homeowner to go into care pending sale of property
• Planning agreements
• Whether there are any listed buildings on the property

Question 5

What are enquiries of the local authority and what do they reveal?

Answer 5

Part of the local search which is a standard set of enquiries

E.g. Whether there are public rights of way over property

Question 6

What are optional enquiries of Local Authority?

Answer 6

Optional searches undertaken for additional fee.

E.g. Whether property abuts village green

Question 7

What type of information will a drainage and water search provide?

Answer 7

Whether property is connected to public water supply and public foul drainage system

Question 8

What type of information will an environmental search provide?

Answer 8

An environmental search reveals issues with the land and whether it has been contaminated

Question 9

What are the three types of transaction specific searches?

Answer 9

1. Search of index map (if property is unregistered)
2. Bankruptcy search (if buyer is getting mortgage)
3. Company search (if seller is a company)

Question 10

What search should a buyer themselves undertake?

Answer 10

A physical search of the property to look for evidence of a right of way, a person in occupation and the physical condition of the property

Question 11

What is the commercial equivalent of the Property Information Form?

Answer 11

Commercial Property Standard Enquiries.