Finding Conveyancing Solicitors Faversham – Why Are Property Searches so Important?

Property searches form a significant part of the conveyancing process and if you are looking at purchasing a property in Faversham or the wider Kent area, then you’ll no doubt be looking for an experienced conveyancing solicitor. For those first time buyers, the process of buying property can be confusing and riddled with an almost never-ending checklist of processes but the property search is there to make sure that the property you are buying is not built on hazardous land, flood sites or rezoning land. Any number of these problems could seriously harm the habitability of the property and prevent it from being sold on in years to come. At Ratcliffes, our solicitors perform stringent in-depth checks to make sure that every eventuality is covered so that you can have complete peace of mind when purchasing a property. We are also part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme.    

Local Authority Search

The LAS essentially notifies you of any restrictions placed upon the property by the local authority. Such restrictions can include the property being a listed status, or situated on a smoke-free/environmentally protected zone. This is very important because any restrictions that the local authority have placed on a property could stop you from clearing trees or even using a wood burner.

The LAS will also check if the property is liable to be affected by any planned maintenance works in the future such as road, highway and rail extensions. Compulsory purchase orders are a good example of potential “game changers” because they can legally allow the local authority to obtain control of a property regardless of the owner. These are often used when an authority wishes to re-develop certain areas that have houses in them.

Environmental Search

The environmental search is carried out by a specialist environmental survey partner who will scrutinise records to identify whether the land on which the property is safe and free from things like contamination, subsidence, and flooding. Flooding and subsidence are all important things to be wary of for obvious reasons. Land contamination not only has health implications but also huge financial ones as under UK law, clearing up contaminated land is the responsibility of the landowner.

Things like radon decontamination can be very expensive for a homeowner which is why the environmental search is so key to any conveyancing process. Ratcliffes are the ideal practice if you are looking for conveyancing Solicitors Faversham. With 22 solid years of professional conveyancing experience, we have helped many buyers with their environmental searches and have brought to the surface some very serious issues that otherwise may have been missed.

Drainage & Water Search

This search will determine the location of drainage and public waterways whilst also assessing the risk of each of these flooding and causing damage to the house.

This search will reveal matters such as the proximity of public sewers, whether there is a sewer running through the boundaries of your property, whether the property is connected to the main water supply, whether foul water and surface drainage from property drain to a public sewer and location of the water mains. A drainage and water search will also confirm if your chosen property is connected to the mains supply.

Conveyancing Solicitors Faversham

Buying a property can be a stressful experience as mortgage companies now more than ever are extremely diligent and seek to minimise lending risk by insisting on an enhanced stringent level of checks. This is why Ratcliffes have forged such a gleaming local reputation – our ability to simplify the process and communicate without legal jargon makes us a stress-free and effective conveyancing provider and property solicitors.

Visit our website today for a free online quote or call our practice on  01795 477505 for conveyancing solicitors in Faversham.