Searches are checks carried out during the conveyancing process to identify information that may affect a property.
Examples can include information relating to planning matters, environmental issues, flood risk and local authority information.
Search costs are usually not set by law firms themselves. In most cases, firms obtain searches from third-party providers on behalf of clients and the costs of those searches can vary depending on location and the type of property involved.
This can make prices difficult to compare.
Some firms may include searches within their prices, some may list them separately and some may include different combinations of searches depending on the circumstances of the transaction.
To support clearer comparison, Choose My Lawyer adopts a standard search pack within the pilot platform and applies that to all firms. This standard search pack combines core searches with commonly included modern risk checks.
The purpose of this approach is to provide a consistent comparison point across firms rather than to determine exactly which searches will ultimately be required for your transaction. You should take your conveyancer's advice on the searches relevant to your transaction.
The Choose My Lawyer standard search pack includes:
- Local Authority search
- Drainage and Water search
- Environmental search
- Flood search
- Planning search
For comparison purposes, Choose My Lawyer uses a comparison cost of £350 including VAT for this search pack.
This comparison cost is used only to create a more consistent basis for comparing prices between firms. It is not intended to represent the actual amount that a firm may ultimately pay for searches on your behalf.
This standardised approach to search packs helps reduce differences in the way search costs are presented so that prices can be compared more consistently and meaningfully.
Please note that due to regional and provider variations the actual cost of the same search pack may be higher or lower than the comparison cost used by Choose My Lawyer.
It's also worth noting that additional searches may sometimes be recommended depending on the property, its location or the circumstances of your transaction. Examples may include:
- Mining searches
- Chancel repair searches
- Infrastructure searches (e.g. HS2)
- Commons registration searches
- Ground stability searches
- Energy searches
- Leasehold-specific searches
- Other location-specific searches
These additional searches are not automatically required and the need for them will vary between transactions.
Where additional searches or costs arise, we believe firms should explain clearly what has changed and why.
If you notice a material difference between information shown through Choose My Lawyer and information later provided by a firm, we encourage you to tell us. This helps us identify market patterns and improve the quality of information shown to future users.
Choose My Lawyer does not decide whether a firm's pricing approach is right or wrong.
CML organises and explains. You decide.