When acquiring a site for commercial property, searches can seem costly and time-consuming. However, searches offer a wealth of unique information, whether for development, business use, or purely for investment purposes. It’s crucial to conduct searches for any property acquisition. Jessica Hotchin, Senior Associate & Head of the Property Team here at Bromleys Solicitors, breaks down the different and essential searches they can help conduct for you.
Depending on your intended use for the property or land, numerous searches can be conducted on your behalf. However, the primary commercial searches we recommend and perform at a minimum in most transactions are:
- Local Authority search – As at the date of the search, it will reveal any issues such as planning consents and building regulation applications that are approved, pending, or refused in relation to the property. This can also potentially reveal various details, like whether the nearest highway to the property is adopted, if the property lies in a Conservation Area, or if there are any Compulsory Purchase Orders registered against it.
- Drainage and Water Search – This will reveal if the property is connected to a mains water supply and shows if the foul and the surface water both drain into a public sewer. It will also check the location of these connections. The location of a nearby connection can be key to considering a site for development.
- Environmental search – This search will show if the property is at a higher risk of flooding or if the land is likely to be considered contaminated. This can prove costly if the original polluter cannot be traced, meaning you will then be obliged to remediate the land, which can be very expensive. Other entries in this search can signal if further detailed investigations are necessary, based on how you plan to use the property or land. We can commission additional searches if there are any issues discovered on the search.
- Highways search – While a local authority search will indicate whether nearby roads are adopted highways, a highways search reveals more information on these particular roads. This can verify whether you have the appropriate access or rights based on how you plan to use the property.
- Chancel – This checks whether the property is within the boundary of a parish which can be subject to historical obligations and whether a property is subject to chancel repair liability. In reality, there is unlikely to be a requirement to contribute, however, the cost can be significant if this is demanded. If the property is in an affected area, we can source an indemnity policy to provide financial cover should a claim be made.
Much of the information in the searches is not publicly available elsewhere or contains specialist, property-specific advice. We can assist you during the transaction when deciding which searches are required depending on your plans or intended use of the property. Our knowledgeable and friendly team at Bromleys is here to help. Call us today on 0161 768 15961 to speak to our team, or email bromleys@bromleys.co.uk.