What searches are done when you buy a house?
Usually a local authority search, a drainage and water search and an environmental search. The Law Society says mortgage lenders typically insist on these.
Your conveyancer may add others, such as a flood or coal mining search. Searches come after your offer is accepted, but several of the same records are free to check yourself before you offer.
The main searches
Searches are questions your conveyancer asks councils, water companies and other bodies about the home and the land around it. They are part of the legal work after your offer is accepted.
| Search | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Local authority search | The local land charges register, plus questions to the council about planning, roads and notices. It shows things like listed status and conservation areas. |
| Drainage and water | The sewer connections and water supply to the home. The official form is the CON29DW. |
| Environmental | Whether the home is on or near contaminated land or water, in a radon area or at risk of flooding. |
| Coal mining | Mine entries within 20 metres, mine gas, other recorded hazards and future mining plans. Only where the home is in a coal mining area. |
Sources: GOV.UK, How to buy a home, The Law Society, Buying a home, GOV.UK, coal mining.
Depending on the area, your conveyancer may suggest others. Ask what they plan to order and why. Our questions for the agent include drainage, flooding and planning.
In Sheffield, more than 99% of live postcodes are inside the coal mining reporting area, which the Mining Remediation Authority uses to decide whether a coal mining report is needed.
Worked out by UK Property Check from the ONS Postcode Directory and the Mining Remediation Authority's coalfield consultation areas, testing each postcode's position.
Before you offer, read what flood risk means, when a coal mining report is needed, and what it means if the home is listed or in a conservation area.
What you can check before you offer
Searches arrive after you have agreed a price and started paying fees. Some of what they reveal is public, so you can look before you commit. Our list of what to check before making an offer puts these in order.
| Check | Where to look | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sale prices and energy certificate | Our free check, or HM Land Registry and the energy certificate register | Free |
| Flood risk for the area | GOV.UK long term flood risk service (England) or Natural Resources Wales (Wales) | Free |
| Coal mining | Mining Remediation Authority online search | Free to search |
| Local land charges | GOV.UK local land charges service, where the council's register has moved to HM Land Registry | Free personal search |
| Listed status | National Heritage List for England, or Cof Cymru in Wales | Free |
| Conservation areas and Article 4 directions | The council's website | Free |
| Planning applications nearby | The council's planning website | Free |
| Radon | UKradon map | Free map |
Local land charges
The local land charges register records restrictions and obligations on land. Examples include listed status, tree preservation orders and conditions on planning permissions.
Councils are moving their registers to HM Land Registry, which aims to finish the move by the end of 2028.
Where a council has moved, you can search its register on GOV.UK: a personal search is free, and an official search costs £15.
Radon
Radon is a natural radioactive gas. The UK Health Security Agency defines a radon Affected Area as one with a 1% chance or more of a house being at or above the Action Level.
The Action Level is a yearly average of 200 becquerels per cubic metre. Above it, the agency recommends reducing the radon level in the home.
If the home is in one, ask whether the owner has done a three-month radon test. If not, UKHSA suggests discussing a retention with your conveyancer and testing after you move in.
What searches do not tell you
Searches report what the records say. They do not tell you the condition of the building, which is what a survey is for. See which survey you need.
They also have gaps. GOV.UK points out that local authority searches do not cover development on neighbouring land unless a specialist search is ordered.
The seller’s own answers about the home come separately, on the TA6 property information form.
Ask the agent or seller
- Has the seller had any searches done already, and how old are they?
- Are there any planning applications on or next to the property?
- Is the home connected to mains drainage, or does it use a septic tank?
- Has the owner done a radon test, and can you share the result?
Related questions
How long are searches valid for?
Searches show the records only on the day they were made, and the records can change. If your purchase takes months, your conveyancer or lender may want some of them updated.
Do searches cover building work on the land next door?
Not usually. GOV.UK says local authority searches do not cover development on neighbouring land unless a specialist search is ordered. Look at the council's planning website for the area yourself.
Can I use my own searches instead of the conveyancer's?
Your own checks help you decide whether to offer, but your conveyancer and lender will rely on the searches the conveyancer orders. Treat yours as a first look.
Sources
- GOV.UK, How to buy a home
- The Law Society, Buying a home
- GOV.UK, Search for local land charges
- HM Land Registry, Local land charges programme
- HM Land Registry, Local land charges newsletter, February 2026
- GOV.UK, Home buying and selling reform roadmap (June 2026)
- GOV.UK, Check if a property is affected by coal mining
- Mining Remediation Authority, Coalfield consultation area data set: user guide
- Office for National Statistics, ONS Postcode Directory
- GOV.UK, Check your long term flood risk
- UKradon (UK Health Security Agency), UK radon map and Affected Areas
- UKradon (UK Health Security Agency), Action Level and Target Level
- UKradon (UK Health Security Agency), Radon and house sales