What are property searches?
Updated September 2026England & Wales4 min read
The short answer
Searches are checks your solicitor orders on the property and its area. The usual ones are the local authority search, the drainage and water search and an environmental search; others depend on location. They often take a few weeks, depending on the council.
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Questions this guide answers
- What are property searches?
- What searches do I need?
- How long do searches take?
- What is a local authority search?
- What is a drainage search?
- What is an environmental search?