What Will a Buyer's Solicitor Find?
Enter your postcode to preview the checks a buyer's solicitor will run during conveyancing. Know what's coming before you list.
What Searches Does a Buyer's Solicitor Run?
When a buyer makes an offer on your property, their solicitor will order a series of property searches to check for issues that could affect the property's value, use, or legality. The standard searches include:
- Local authority search — planning applications, building control records, road schemes, tree preservation orders, conservation areas, smoke control zones, and contaminated land
- Environmental search — flood risk, contaminated land, ground stability, radon, landfill proximity
- Drainage and water search — connection to mains drainage, public sewers crossing the property, water supply
- Chancel repair search — liability to contribute to parish church repairs (rare but expensive if it applies)
- Coal mining search — only needed if the property is in a coal mining affected area
These searches typically cost the buyer £250 to £400 in total and take 2 to 10 weeks depending on the local authority. As a seller, you don't pay for these — but what they reveal directly affects whether your sale proceeds smoothly.
Why Check Before Listing?
Around 30% of UK house sales fall through before completion. A common cause is problems discovered during searches that the seller didn't know about or failed to disclose on the TA6 Property Information Form.
By checking these data sources before you list, you can:
- Prepare honest, thorough answers for the TA6 — reducing follow-up enquiries
- Address potential issues on your own timeline, not under pressure from a waiting buyer
- Price your property appropriately if there are known risks
- Consider ordering searches upfront to eliminate the search waiting period entirely
What This Report Shows vs Formal Searches
This free report uses publicly available government data to give you a preliminary picture. It is not a substitute for the formal searches a solicitor orders during conveyancing. Formal searches provide legally backed, insured results that mortgage lenders require. This report helps you understand what to expect — so nothing catches you off guard.
Related guides
View allSearches, risks & what they mean for your sale
- →Property Searches Explained for Sellers
- →How Long Do Local Searches Take by Council?
- →Flood Risk Search: What It Means for Sellers
- →Coal Mining Search Areas in the UK
- →Environmental Search Results Explained
- →Selling in a Conservation Area
- →Local Authority Search Explained
- →EPC Certificate Explained
- →Can Sellers Order Searches Before Selling?
- →What If Searches Reveal Problems?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this property report include?
This report pulls EPC data from the official GOV.UK Energy Performance register and provides direct links to check flood risk (Environment Agency), listed building status (Historic England), conservation area boundaries (DLUHC Planning Data), and coal mining risk (Coal Authority). It also includes guidance on local authority search turnaround times.
Why should I check this before selling?
These are the same checks a buyer's solicitor will run during conveyancing. If they discover issues you didn't know about — flood risk, a nearby listed building, or a lapsed EPC — it can trigger additional enquiries, delay the sale, or cause your buyer to renegotiate or pull out. Knowing in advance lets you prepare honest answers for the TA6 Property Information Form and avoid surprises.
Is this the same as a property search?
No. Official property searches (local authority, environmental, drainage, chancel) are formal legal reports ordered by a solicitor during conveyancing. This free report uses publicly available data to give you a preliminary picture of what those searches might reveal. It is not a substitute for formal searches, but it helps you understand what to expect before you list.
Does this cover Scotland?
The EPC data covers England and Wales only. The flood risk, listed building, and conservation area tools linked from this report also primarily cover England. Scotland has its own registers and authorities — Registers of Scotland for property data, SEPA for flood risk, and Historic Environment Scotland for listed buildings.
How accurate is the flood risk information?
The flood risk tool linked from this report is the official Environment Agency service for checking long-term flood risk in England. It shows risk from rivers, the sea, surface water, and reservoirs. It is regularly updated and is the same data source used by professional environmental search providers. However, it shows area-level risk rather than property-specific risk, so a formal environmental search may provide more detail.
What if my property is in a conservation area?
Being in a conservation area affects what alterations you can make to the property and may require conservation area consent for certain works. It is important to disclose this on the TA6 Property Information Form. Buyers' solicitors will check this during their local authority search, so it is better to know upfront. Conservation area status does not prevent a sale but can affect property value and buyer expectations.
Do I need a coal mining search?
A coal mining search is typically required if the property is in a coal mining affected area. The Coal Authority interactive map linked from this report lets you check whether your postcode falls within a mining area. If it does, the buyer's solicitor will almost certainly order a CON29M mining search as part of conveyancing, which costs around £40 to £50.
Sources
- Open Data Communities — Domestic Energy Performance Certificates (England & Wales)
- Environment Agency — Long-term flood risk information (check-long-term-flood-risk.service.gov.uk)
- Historic England — National Heritage List for England (historicengland.org.uk)
- DLUHC — Planning Data (planning.data.gov.uk)
- Coal Authority — Interactive map of coal mining affected areas (coal.gov.uk)