Are home searches the same as home surveys? Conveyancing and Property
No, home searches are not the same as home surveys.
Searches look at a broad range of environmental and legal conditions that are specific to a property and its surrounding area. They reveal any pertinent issues that need further investigation. Your solicitor will place the searches for the property you are purchasing. This will include:
- Local authority searches
- Water & drainage
- Environmental searches
- Any other searches recommended in the area you are buying, such as coal mining searches.
Surveys, on the other hand, are requested by you as the buyer and you need to contact a surveyor direct to provide you with a survey suitable for the type of property you are buying to ensure you receive detailed and accurate information about the physical condition of the property being purchased. If you are taking out a mortgage, your lender will carry out a valuation to ensure the property being purchased is worth the price you have agreed to pay. It is important to note this is only for the lender’s benefit and you cannot rely on it.
As solicitors, we only review the ‘Legal Advisers’ section in the survey, if a client provides us with a copy before there is any legal commitment to buy. Find out more about the differences between home searches and home surveys.