Buying a house can be a stressful experience and during the process how many times have you contacted your solicitor only to be told "we are waiting for the Local Search". Ever wondered what one is, how to get one and what information it holds? Well read on......
In brief terms a Local Search is a document which reveals all kinds of important information relating to the property you are hoping to buy. The information is gathered from various sections of local government such as Planning and Building Control, County Highways and Environmental Health.
It is important that you know all this information before you sign the exchange documents that make the property yours... after all, what if you moved into your new home only to find afterwards that there is an outstanding planning enforcement notice or that the new kitchen extension built two years ago hasn't got building regulations.....
That is why it is as equally important that the information supplied in the search is complete, reliable and accurate.
When your solicitor applies for a search they will use one of two methods; either a personal search company or they will submit the official forms (known as LLC1 and Con29) direct to the Local Authority, they can submit by post or by using the
NLIS website which is specifically designed to submit searches to Local Authorities.
Personal Search CompaniesIf they opt to use a personal search company, they (the personal search company) will book an appointment with the Local Authority to inspect the land charges register, this appointment can be anything from the next working day to the following week, we will charge the personal search company £11 to do this. They will then compile all the information and sell it on to the solicitor for a charge (ranging from £50 to £150). A personal search company will use an indemnity insurance to insure against any missed information or errors.
The Local Authority Method - Local Land Charges Section
One of the Local Land Charges sections main responsibilities is to accurately maintain the Local Land Charges Register, this is the register that contains the majority of the information which makes up an official search.
When a search request is submitted to us, we search the property address in the Land Charges Register and reveal all the information against that property and obtain the additional information from Highways, Health and Building Control, enter the information onto the official LLC1 and Con29 forms and return it to your solicitor, on average this process takes us 3-5 working days (statistics from 2006/07 showed 99.5% of our searches were answered in under 5 working days).
Important questions to ask your solicitor about your search....
Who is compiling my local search?
Quite often a home buyer is unaware of who exactly is compiling the search, the Local Authority or a Personal Search Company. Talk to your solicitor about the advantages and disadvantages of both methods.
What are the differences between Local Authority Searches and Personal Searches?
A Local Authority search will be answered and returned to your solicitor within 5 working days on the official LLC1 and Con29 Forms. Different Personal Search Companies operate in different ways and you should check with your solicitor as to which method of obtaining the search they intend to use.
What if I want additional information based on the results of my Search?
The Local Authority are keepers of all the records and thus it is us you contact if you want to obtain any copies of any planning permissions or anything else your search has revealed.
For more information you can contact the Land Charges Team on 01775 761161 (ask for Land Charges) or email
_landcharge@sholland.gov.uk Good luck with your home move!
