Can I obtain searches myself ??

tim123456789

losgiganteskid wrote: »

thanks for the replies so far - i'm sure somewhere in the past I read that searches cost about £20 - £25 +vat each

that was before councils had to scrape every penny that they could find

my LA now charge 85 pounds and ITYF that level of charge is very much the norm

tim

losgiganteskid

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Are you buying with a mortgage? If so, you won't have a choice. The solicitor also acts for the lender, who will require the solicitor to do the searches.

No - I believe she is buying mortgage free

G_M

You can do a (usually free) 'personal search' with the council. This is less formal, quicker, but there is no come-back. ie any error they are not liable for.

http://www.bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/the_environment/land_and_premises/land_charges/access_information_for_private_search_agents

If you are getting a mortgage, the lender will not accept this.

But if no mortgage, it is your choice.

As said, if no mortgage, you could also do the conveyancing yourself.

Indeed, even with a mortgage you could DIY, but there is little point as the lender will appoint a conveyancer, at your expense, to protect their legal interests, who will duplicate much of the DIY work you do!

Example charges(Bradford):
http://www.bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/the_environment/land_and_premises/land_charges

Or

http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/development-control/displayarticle.asp?ID=66299

Flat_Eric

The cost of the Local Search varies enormously. If you visit the website of your Local Council and search for Land Charges, you should be able to see the cost of a Local Search for where you live.

The other searches are usually done through a search agency. These agencies offer a choice of providers (for example for the environmental search) so the cost for the same search will vary by a few pounds depending on which one your conveyancer picks.

The agency can also do the Local Search for you but they usually charge a handling fee.

If you are getting a mortgage, as other posters have said, you will need to have the various searches carried out.