'Searches' - house purchase. Which ones?

Jeepers_Creepers

Hi.

A relative is buying a small house - it's a probate sale (which has all been sorted, apparently). She's a cash buyer.

The house is in an established residential street with no planned developments nearby - there's no room in any case. No mining risks, no 'radon', no flood, nothing obvious like that.

Sooo, the Q which I'm sure has been asked before (had a quick search, but not found the 'answer') - which ones should be carried out? And what are some of them for anyhoo?

1) Bankruptcy Search. Bankrupcy of who - the buyer of (deceased) seller?

2) Priority Search. What's this?

3) Drainage and water. Yup, it has both, mains, just like every other house on the street.

4) Coal Mining. Obviously not in this case.

5) Groundsure Homebuyers. What's this?

6) Off. LA Search CON29R. Needed?

7) Off. LA Search LLC1. Needed?

8) LA Search Admin fee. Needed if the obvove two ain't?

The two more costly ones are Groundsure and LA CON29R, oh and drainage. Which of these are a requirement? And which 'should' folk do?  (I mean, does every buyer need to check if they are still connected to the drains each time the house is sold...?)

Thanks.

user1977

If she's not doing her own conveyancing, surely her solicitor is offering her some advice about this rather than just shrugging their shoulders and inviting their client to pick from that list without even explaining what they are?

Jeepers_Creepers

She's using a (recommended by a friend) on-line conveyancer, so they won't be familiar with the area, if that makes a difference?

AdrianC

She has whichever she feels makes her happy and comfy. Only she knows which they are.

This is what the two LA searches will tell her - https://www.lifetimelegal.co.uk/searches/local-authority-searches-llc1-con29/
And this is the Groundsure - https://www.groundsure.com/products/homebuyers/
Priority - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/land-registry-portal-official-search-of-whole-with-priority

Bankruptcy search is to protect a lender from the purchaser being a bankrupt.

user1977

Jeepers_Creepers said:

She's using a (recommended by a friend) on-line conveyancer, so they won't be familiar with the area, if that makes a difference?

No, it makes no difference, but it's a bit useless if they're just asking "do you want a CON29R?".

Bankruptcy and priority searches are the basic ones to ensure there's nothing disastrous going to stop her getting a good title from the vendor, no point skimping on those. Otherwise she can probably get herself comfortable on local authority / environmental matters if she understands the issues involved. Though given the question, it sounds like she might not.

Also with a probate sale she's presumably getting little in the way of warranties from the executors, who might genuinely be unaware of e.g. local authority notices served on the property, so perhaps reason to be slightly more cautious.

Jeepers_Creepers

Thank you, both - good info and points.

I'll pass that on.