In this post we will discuss how long property searches take when buying a house. Before we dive into that, let’s quickly cover off what searches are, who is responsible for conducting them, and what the searches are actually searching for.
What are property searches?
Property searches are investigations carried out when purchasing a property in the UK. Searches are conducted to gather crucial information about the property’s legal, regulatory, and environmental status. They help ensure that there are no hidden issues or potential complications that could impact the property’s value or the buyer’s plans for it.
Who is responsible for property searches?
In the UK, property searches are conducted by solicitors or licensed conveyancers who are hired (and paid for) by the buyer of the property. These legal professionals have the expertise and access to the necessary databases to perform the required searches and gather relevant information about the property.
Normally solicitors and conveyancers will either do the property searches directly themselves by requesting the information from the local authority, or they will hire a specialist search company to help. This is important for buyers to know because the speed by which you get results for your searches can depend on the route taken. Hiring the help of a search company costs more but is normally the fastest way to get results. Always check with your conveyancer which option they plan to go with.
What do property searches include?
Local authority searches
- Scrutiny of planning-related matters
- Assessment of building control matters
- Examination of potential highways concerns
- Evaluation of ongoing rail schemes
- Analysis of pollution-related issues
- Determination of listing status, conservation area inclusion, or tree preservation orders
- These searches aim to unearth any ongoing or planned construction work nearby
Environmental searches
- Appraisal of flood-related matters
- Study of potential landslide risks
- Assessment of subsidence possibilities
- Evaluation of potential contamination of the land
- Disclosure of nearby gas hazards or landfill sites
Water and drainage searches
- Connection to public water supply and sewerage systems
- Location of public sewer lines and drainage pipes
- Necessity of water company approval for property extensions
- Operational insights into drainage systems and responsible water company
Land Registry Searches
This search involves reviewing the current ‘title register’ and ‘title plan’ records stored within the Land Registry. The purpose is to validate the present ownership status of the property being offered for sale.
How long do searches take?
The time to do most types of searches is relatively predictable. The wild card in the bunch is local authority searches.
| Search Type | How long it takes |
| Local authority | 2 days – 8 months |
| Drainage and water | Up to 10 days |
| Environmental | Up to 10 days |
| Land registry | Up to 10 days |
Local authority searches have the potential to be a major bottle neck and to slow down your house buying process. The speed of local authority searches depends on where the house you plan to buy is located, and which local authority is responsible for doing the searches. Some local authorities are very fast while others are extremely slow.
How long do local authority search take (2023)
The below table outlines the speed at which each local authority will return searches, based on Aug 2023 data. Check the relevant local authority in the table below to learn how quick they are. If they are slow, you can reduce these search times by using a specialist search company.
If your property purchase has a slow council, or any property being bought within the chain is in a slow council catchment area, this could slow things down for the whole chain. If you or anyone in your chain needs to sell a house fast, Property Rescue can buy any property for cash in under 2 weeks, without doing any searches. Just get in touch for a no obligation quote.
| Council Name | Business days for searches |
| Bolton Metro Borough Council | 184 |
| East Staffordshire Borough Council | 40 |
| Tamworth Borough Council | 40 |
| Durham County Council (Unitary) | 35 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne City Council | 35 |
| South Ribble Borough Council | 35 |
| St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council | 35 |
| Torfaen County Borough Council | 35 |
| Westmorland and Furness Council (South Lakeland District Council) | 35 |
| Bridgend County Borough Council | 30 |
| Dorset Council (Weymouth & Portland Borough Council) | 30 |
| Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council | 30 |
| North Yorkshire Council (Craven District Council) | 30 |
| Pembrokeshire County Council | 30 |
| Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council | 30 |
| Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames | 30 |
| South Staffordshire District Council | 30 |
| Stafford Borough Council | 30 |
| Tewkesbury Borough Council | 30 |
| Vale of Glamorgan Council | 30 |
| West Northamptonshire Council (Daventry District Council) | 30 |
| West Berkshire Council | 29 |
| London Borough of Redbridge | 28 |
| Blaenau Gwent County Council Borough Council | 27 |
| Corporation of the City of London | 26 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (Christchurch Borough Council) | 25 |
| Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council | 25 |
| Central Bedfordshire Council (Unitary) | 25 |
| Cumberland Council (Carlisle City Council) | 25 |
| Dartford Borough Council | 25 |
| Epping Forest District Council | 25 |
| Forest of Dean District Council | 25 |
| Hertsmere Borough Council | 25 |
| Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council | 25 |
| Liverpool City Council | 25 |
| Middlesbrough Borough Council | 25 |
| Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council | 25 |
| Rossendale Borough Council | 25 |
| Royal Borough of Greenwich | 25 |
| Sheffield City Council | 25 |
| Thurrock District Council | 25 |
| Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council | 25 |
| Watford Borough Council | 25 |
| Welwyn Hatfield Council | 25 |
| Broxbourne Borough Council | 23 |
| Cotswold District Council | 23 |
| Somerset Council (South Somerset District Council) | 23 |
| Flintshire County Council | 22 |
| Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council | 21 |
| Adur District Council | 20 |
| Amber Valley Borough Council | 20 |
| Cambridge City Council | 20 |
| Ceredigion County Council | 20 |
| Chesterfield Borough Council | 20 |
| Chichester District Council | 20 |
| Cumberland Council (Allerdale Borough Council) | 20 |
| Cumberland Council (Copeland Borough Council) | 20 |
| Dorset Council (North Dorset District Council) | 20 |
| Dorset Council (Purbeck District Council) | 20 |
| East Lindsey District Council | 20 |
| Erewash Borough Council | 20 |
| Gedling Borough Council | 20 |
| Gloucester City Council | 20 |
| Great Yarmouth Borough Council | 20 |
| High Peak Borough Council | 20 |
| Kingston upon Hull City Council | 20 |
| Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council | 20 |
| London Borough of Camden | 20 |
| London Borough of Islington | 20 |
| Maldon District Council | 20 |
| Newport City Council | 20 |
| North East Derbyshire District Council | 20 |
| North Lincolnshire Council | 20 |
| North Norfolk District Council | 20 |
| North Somerset Council | 20 |
| North Yorkshire Council (Harrogate Council) | 20 |
| North Yorkshire Council (Richmondshire District Council) | 20 |
| Northumberland County Council (Unitary) | 20 |
| Portsmouth City Council | 20 |
| Reading Borough Council | 20 |
| Rother District Council | 20 |
| Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council | 20 |
| Rushcliffe Borough Council | 20 |
| South Cambridgeshire District Council | 20 |
| South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council | 20 |
| St Albans City Council | 20 |
| Stoke on Trent City Council | 20 |
| Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council | 20 |
| Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council | 20 |
| Test Valley Borough Council | 20 |
| Torridge District Council | 20 |
| West Lancashire Borough Council | 20 |
| West Oxfordshire District Council | 20 |
| Westmorland and Furness Council (Barrow in Furness Borough Council) | 20 |
| Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council | 20 |
| Wiltshire Council (Unitary) | 20 |
| Worthing Borough Council | 20 |
| Wyre Forest District Council | 20 |
| Salford City Council | 19 |
| Harlow District Council | 18 |
| Hastings Borough Council | 18 |
| Newark & Sherwood District Council | 18 |
| East Hampshire District Council | 17 |
| Lincoln City Council | 17 |
| Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council | 16 |
| Maidstone Borough Council | 16 |
| Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead | 16 |
| Swale Borough Council | 16 |
| Tunbridge Wells Borough Council | 16 |
| Basildon District Council | 15 |
| Bassetlaw District Council | 15 |
| Blaby District Council | 15 |
| Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council | 15 |
| Breckland District Council | 15 |
| Broadland District Council | 15 |
| Broxtowe Borough Council | 15 |
| Burnley Borough Council | 15 |
| Canterbury City Council | 15 |
| Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council (Unitary) | 15 |
| Coventry City Council | 15 |
| Dacorum Borough Council | 15 |
| Darlington Borough Council | 15 |
| Derby City Council | 15 |
| Derbyshire Dales District Council | 15 |
| Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council | 15 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire Council | 15 |
| Eastleigh Borough Council | 15 |
| Epsom & Ewell Borough Council | 15 |
| Folkestone & Hythe District Council | 15 |
| Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council | 15 |
| Hyndburn Borough Council | 15 |
| Isle of Wight Council | 15 |
| Lancaster City Council | 15 |
| Leicester City Council | 15 |
| London Borough of Brent | 15 |
| London Borough of Harrow | 15 |
| London Borough of Havering Council | 15 |
| London Borough of Merton | 15 |
| London Borough of Southwark | 15 |
| Mid Devon District Council | 15 |
| Monmouthshire County Council | 15 |
| North Northamptonshire Council (East Northamptonshire District Council) | 15 |
| North Tyneside Council | 15 |
| North Warwickshire Borough Council | 15 |
| North Yorkshire Council (Ryedale District Council) | 15 |
| Oadby & Wigston Borough Council | 15 |
| Oxford City Council | 15 |
| Pendle Borough Council | 15 |
| Redcar and Cleveland Council | 15 |
| Runnymede Borough Council | 15 |
| South Gloucestershire Council | 15 |
| South Norfolk District Council | 15 |
| Staffordshire Moorlands District Council | 15 |
| Telford and Wrekin Council | 15 |
| Torbay Borough Council | 15 |
| Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council | 15 |
| Westmorland and Furness Council (Eden District Council) | 15 |
| Wrexham County Borough Council | 15 |
| Ashfield District Council | 14 |
| Cannock Chase District Council | 14 |
| Mansfield District Council | 14 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council | 14 |
| Tandridge District Council | 14 |
| Fenland District Council | 13 |
| Hart District Council | 13 |
| Mid Suffolk District Council | 13 |
| Chorley Borough Council | 12 |
| Harborough District Council | 12 |
| Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council | 12 |
| Ribble Valley Borough Council | 12 |
| Shropshire Council (Unitary) | 12 |
| Stratford On Avon District Council | 12 |
| Thanet District Council | 12 |
| Wyre Borough Council | 12 |
| Buckinghamshire Council (Aylesbury Vale) | 11 |
| East Devon District Council | 11 |
| Huntingdonshire District Council | 11 |
| North East Lincolnshire Council | 11 |
| Ashford Borough Council | 10 |
| Babergh District Council | 10 |
| Bath and North East Somerset Council | 10 |
| Bedford Borough Council | 10 |
| Blackpool Borough Council | 10 |
| Bolsover District Council | 10 |
| Boston Borough Council | 10 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (Bournemouth Borough Council) | 10 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (Poole Borough Council) | 10 |
| Bristol City Council | 10 |
| Bromsgrove District Council | 10 |
| Buckinghamshire Council (Wycombe) | 10 |
| Caerphilly County Borough Council | 10 |
| Carmarthenshire County Council | 10 |
| Castle Point Borough Council | 10 |
| Charnwood Borough Council | 10 |
| Chelmsford City Council | 10 |
| Cheltenham Borough Council | 10 |
| Cherwell District Council | 10 |
| Cheshire East Borough Council (Unitary) | 10 |
| City of Wakefield Metropolitan District | 10 |
| Cornwall Council (Unitary) | 10 |
| Dorset Council (East Dorset District Council) | 10 |
| Dorset Council (West Dorset District Council) | 10 |
| Dover District Council | 10 |
| East Cambridgeshire District Council | 10 |
| East Hertfordshire District Council | 10 |
| Eastbourne Borough Council | 10 |
| Exeter City Council | 10 |
| Fylde Borough Council | 10 |
| Gosport Borough Council | 10 |
| Gravesham Borough Council | 10 |
| Halton Borough Council | 10 |
| Havant Borough Council | 10 |
| Herefordshire Council | 10 |
| Horsham District Council | 10 |
| Ipswich Borough Council | 10 |
| Isle of Anglesey County Council | 10 |
| Kirklees Metropolitan Council | 10 |
| Lewes District Council | 10 |
| Lichfield District Council | 10 |
| London Borough of Ealing | 10 |
| London Borough of Hackney | 10 |
| London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham | 10 |
| London Borough of Hillingdon | 10 |
| London Borough of Hounslow | 10 |
| London Borough of Lewisham | 10 |
| London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames | 10 |
| London Borough of Waltham Forest | 10 |
| London Borough of Wandsworth | 10 |
| Luton Borough Council | 10 |
| Medway Council | 10 |
| Milton Keynes City Council | 10 |
| New Forest District Council | 10 |
| North Northamptonshire Council (Corby Borough Council) | 10 |
| North Northamptonshire Council (Kettering Borough Council) | 10 |
| North Northamptonshire Council (Wellingborough Borough Council) | 10 |
| North West Leicestershire District Council | 10 |
| North Yorkshire Council (Scarborough Borough Council) | 10 |
| North Yorkshire Council (Selby District Council) | 10 |
| Norwich City Council | 10 |
| Nottingham City Council | 10 |
| Peterborough City Council | 10 |
| Plymouth City Council | 10 |
| Powys County Council | 10 |
| Preston Borough Council | 10 |
| Redditch Borough Council | 10 |
| Rochford District Council | 10 |
| Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea | 10 |
| Rugby Borough Council | 10 |
| Rushmoor Borough Council | 10 |
| Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council | 10 |
| Sevenoaks District Council | 10 |
| Slough Council | 10 |
| Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council | 10 |
| Somerset Council (Mendip District Council) | 10 |
| Somerset Council (Sedgemoor District Council) | 10 |
| South Derbyshire District Council | 10 |
| South Hams District Council | 10 |
| South Holland District Council | 10 |
| South Kesteven District Council | 10 |
| South Oxfordshire District Council | 10 |
| Stevenage Borough Council | 10 |
| Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council | 10 |
| Stockton on Tees Council | 10 |
| Stroud District Council | 10 |
| Swansea City and Borough Council | 10 |
| Teignbridge District Council | 10 |
| Three Rivers District Council | 10 |
| Warrington Borough Council | 10 |
| Warwick District Council | 10 |
| Waverley Borough Council | 10 |
| Wealden District Council | 10 |
| West Lindsey District Council | 10 |
| West Northamptonshire Council (South Northamptonshire District Council) | 10 |
| Winchester City Council | 10 |
| Woking Borough Council | 10 |
| Wolverhampton City Council | 10 |
| Worcester City Council | 10 |
| Conwy County Borough Council | 9 |
| Crawley Borough Council | 8 |
| Denbighshire County Council | 8 |
| Hartlepool Council | 8 |
| Leeds City Council | 8 |
| London Borough of Tower Hamlets | 8 |
| Somerset Council (Somerset West and Taunton Council) | 8 |
| Vale of White Horse District Council | 8 |
| West Suffolk Council | 8 |
| Birmingham City Council | 7 |
| Bracknell Forest Borough Council | 7 |
| Bury Metro Borough Council | 7 |
| City of Doncaster Council | 7 |
| Colchester Borough Council | 7 |
| London Borough of Bexley | 7 |
| Reigate & Banstead Borough Council | 7 |
| Rutland County Council | 7 |
| Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council | 7 |
| Surrey Heath Borough Council | 7 |
| Swindon Borough Council | 7 |
| Uttlesford District Council | 7 |
| West Devon Borough Council | 7 |
| West Northamptonshire Council (Northampton Borough Council) | 7 |
| London Borough of Enfield | 6 |
| Mole Valley District Council | 6 |
| Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council | 6 |
| Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council | 6 |
| Arun District Council | 5 |
| Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council | 5 |
| Bradford City Metro District Council | 5 |
| Braintree District Council | 5 |
| Brentwood Borough Council | 5 |
| East Suffolk Council | 5 |
| Elmbridge Borough Council | 5 |
| Fareham Borough Council | 5 |
| Guildford Borough Council | 5 |
| London Borough of Barking and Dagenham | 5 |
| London Borough of Barnet | 5 |
| London Borough of Croydon | 5 |
| London Borough of Haringey | 5 |
| London Borough of Lambeth | 5 |
| London Borough of Newham | 5 |
| London Borough of Westminster | 5 |
| Melton Borough Council | 5 |
| North Hertfordshire District Council | 5 |
| North Yorkshire Council (Hambleton District Council) | 5 |
| South Buckinghamshire District Council | 5 |
| Southampton City Council | 5 |
| Spelthorne Borough Council | 5 |
| Tendring District Council | 5 |
| Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council | 5 |
| Wokingham District Council | 5 |
| Wychavon District Council | 5 |
| Brighton & Hove City Council | 4 |
| Cardiff Council | 4 |
| London Borough of Bromley | 4 |
| Manchester City Council | 4 |
| Mid Sussex District Council | 4 |
| City of York Council | 3 |
| Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council | 3 |
| London Borough of Sutton | 3 |
| North Devon District Council | 3 |
| North Kesteven District Council | 3 |
| Malvern Hills District Council | 2 |
| Southend-on-Sea Borough Council | 2 |
The data in the above table comes from here.
It’s clear that Bolton council is extremely slow at doing searches. Excluding Bolton, the average of all other councils listed is just over 14 business days which isn’t bad.
Are searches mandatory?
Yes and no. Searches are not a legal requirement, but they are required by mortgage lenders. Since most people buy homes with money borrowed from the bank, searches will be required. However, cash house buyers do not need to do searches since they are not borrowing anything.
If you live in Bolton, or anywhere else in the UK with a slow local authority, and you are looking to sell a house quickly, you can skip local authority searches entirely by selling directly to us. We can buy any property for cash in under 2 weeks, without doing any searches. Just get in touch for a no obligation quote. Or, if you just want to know what your house is worth today, here is an instant, free property valuation tool that will tell you exactly that.