How crucial are the optional searches?

Ultranol_2

Hello,

Our solicitors have given us a number of optional searches to consider (environmental report, chancel check, plansearch plus, coal authority search, groundsure flood report). We are going ahead with the chancel check and a couple are not relevent (coal authority search - not relevant as the property is in SE london, and flood report - not relevent as the property is on a hill and no where near rivers and we know there is no flood risk). But can anyone advise on how useful or important the environmental and plansearch searches are?

Thanks

david29dpo

If you are using a good, local solicitor he should know what searches you need. He shouldn't be asking you want you want.

loopyanna

I would always advise a client (i'm a solicitor) to get an environmental search (it will tell you about nearby landfills and other potential contaminents, pylons etc.) - however some clients want to keep cost down which is fair enough. If you're one of them then your solicitor should have looked at the searches which are required by your lender and then given you the option of the additional searches. Plansearch however should not be necessary (imo - but you should speak to your own solicitor as they know all the facts and i don't!). The details it contains are included within the local authority search which was in your HIP (your solicitor may have done an additional local search as required by some lender.