What are property searches and do I need them?
Property searches are checks usually carried out by your solicitor to find out important information about the property that wouldn’t appear on the title deeds or from a simple inspection.
What do they reveal?
Searches can uncover issues such as:
- Planning permissions, enforcement notices, or other restrictions.
- Whether the property is affected by road proposals or nearby developments.
- Water and drainage connections, including if the property is connected to mains services.
- Environmental risks, such as flood zones or contaminated land.
- Whether the property is subject to Compulsory Purchase Orders, listed status, or tree preservation orders.
Are they needed in auction purchases?
Yes — but there’s a key difference:
In a normal purchase, your solicitor would order these searches before exchange of contracts. In an auction, contracts are exchanged the moment you win the bid, so it’s too late to carry out searches after the auction.
That means:
- If the legal pack includes searches, you need to read them carefully.
- If they are missing or out of date, you’re buying the property without full information.
- You can’t ask for searches to be done or updated after the auction — the seller has no obligation to assist.
What’s the risk?
Buying without full searches means you may later discover:
- The property is affected by planning issues or legal restrictions.
- There are problems with access, drainage, or rights of way.
- You can’t develop or use the property as intended.
These risks become your responsibility once you’ve exchanged.
Summary
Property searches provide critical information — but in auction sales, they are often incomplete or missing. You should always review the legal pack for any included searches before bidding, and understand the risks of proceeding without them.










