Personal searches

Depends if I'm buying or letting out-

When buying; I adopt the "why keep a dog and bask yesself" principle and I let the solicitor commission the local authority search, flood/drainage/water search, and, if I need one, the Environmental one (sometimes I've skipped the Environmental search if buying cash and if know the area as it seems to be lenders who like these).

And I rarely ask for a "Plansearch Plus" check as I don't care about Oftsted ratings and can work the Council website myself. And I'm so hacked off by the old Chancel Check scam that I now tell 'em not to bother as I am confident that "God Will Verily Protect me" even though I am a blasphemer.

But prior to any purchase offer I do my own informal searches;

- I visit the area at different times of the week or day to ensure its not like "Assault on Precinct 13" nor over-run by yummies,
- if leasehold, I quiz the agent as far as they have the info on service-charges and maintenence and who the freeholder is so that...
- I can google 'em or even ring em to determine if they are carp exploiters or in case they have had action taken against them by unhappy leaseholders or RTM-ers..

And when letting my 2 little BTLs I sometimes use an EA to reference -check prospects, but I have taken up bank or employer references myself with the punter's authority (thus saving me and them a bomb).

I also look 'em (the prospective tenants) in the eye, but stop short of a strip search!

What personal searches are you thinking of performing? And does it involve latex gloves?