The Local Authority must keep a register of certain matters which is open to public inspection. The search results will reveal any entries held by the Council and the search is likely to include information such as tree preservation orders (imagine moving into your new home and finding out that you can’t chop down the conifer which is blocking all light from your living room!), smoke control orders (no one wants a fine for burning unauthorised fuel on their new open fire), planning permissions, restrictions, conservation orders, listed building status and whether roads serving the property are maintained at pubic expense. 

 

This is where we attempt to find information out from the Seller which the Seller is not bound by law to disclose. The Seller can refuse to answer these queries however a misleading enquiry could lead to the Buyer bringing an action in misrepresentation. 

 

The Water and Drainage Enquire will show whether the property has foul water drainage to the public sewer, whether the property has surface water drainage to the public sewer, whether there is a water main, public sewer, disposal main or drain within the boundary and whether the property is connected to the public water supply. 

With the onslaught of fracking, influx of wind turbines and the invasion of solar panels people have become much more aware of environmental issues and they can have a big impact on whether or not you decide to purchase a property. One obvious issue is that the land may be contaminated. If you end up with a property built on contaminated land, then you may end up with a big clean-up bill and that’s before we start considering the dangers posed to your health due to the contaminated land. If you are purchasing a property built on former or near current industrial land, then environmental searches are a must! 

 

For historical reasons some properties carry with them a requirement to pay the cost of repairing the chancel of the parish church. The costs of this repair bill can be considerable (in one case it was the repair costs were £186,000.00) and the liability may not be apparent from the title deeds alone. 

 

The Environmental Search estimates that one in six homes in England are at risk of flooding. Flooding does not just occur near rivers or coasts. Surface water flooding can occur when heavy rainfall overwhelms the drains or sewers or when sewers become blocked. 

 

I could literally write chapter and verse about searches. I say I could but I’m not going to – partly because it would take days but mostly because its tea time and I’m hungry! The point is that searches help uncover all kinds of information and even if you’ve lived in the area all your life the searches may still uncover hidden defects about the property that could cause issues in the future. 

 

Contact MG Legal, solicitors in Preston, Lancashire today to discuss the searches relevant to the property you are buying via enquiries@mglegal.co.uk or on 01995 602 129.