From the day–to–day searches to the more unusual or non-standard due diligence or information services available, we provide a snapshot into the A-Z of Conveyancing for residential and commercial transactions.

AML Money laundering is a serious business – with property transactions considered a prime target. The Government launched a Flag It Up campaign to help raise awareness in the legal, accountancy and property sectors of the importance of undertaking automatic Anti-Money Laundering (AML) risk assessments, for every transaction.

Bath Stone Mining Search Affecting properties in north east Somerset and west Wiltshire, a report will assess the risk of subsidence to the property associated with historic extractive Bath Stone mining. Historic plans, documents, geological maps, early Ordnance survey maps and aerial photography are used to compile a report.

Cheshire Salt Search In parts of Cheshire, salt is extracted from below ground by being dissolved in water and pumped up as brine. Where brine pumping has taken place properties can be at risk from subsidence. A Cheshire Salt Search is therefore available to determine related risks to properties in this location.

Chancel Chancel Search, also known as Chancel Check or Chancel Liability Search, identifies whether a property is in an historical parish containing potential Chancel repair liability.

Docklands Light Railway For properties located near to the Docklands Light Railway, London Underground or other railway lines, it’s important to find out if it may be affected by existing or proposed rail and highway transport schemes, or if it may be affected by compulsory purchase powers. Details are contained in a TfL Railways search, or an Energy & Infrastructure report.

Environmental Today all-in-one environmental reports support you in assessing a host of risks for both residential and commercial transactions – from flood to ground stability – in one single report.

Energy An Energy & Infrastructure report indicates whether a property is likely to be impacted by energy projects such as Oil & Gas Exploration blocks and drilling locations, hydraulic fracturing (fracking), solar or wind farms or renewable energy plants including Waste Combustion and Sewage Sludge Digestion.

Flooding With over 300,000 commercial properties estimated to be at risk across the UK, a comprehensive flood risk assessment is essential to avoid the potential cost and inconvenience of flooding from river, coastal, groundwater or surface water.

Forestry Commission Search The Forestry Land Information Search allows you to search for land designations or features, such as National Nature Reserves, and grant schemes or felling permissions in an identified location in England.

Ground Stability Reports are available that identify areas of land that could be prone to ground instability as a result of natural underlying geology. They also include subsidence insurance claims data, to assess the ratio of valid claims in the postcode compared to the rest of the country.

Gypsum Search A Gypsum Search reveals the proximity of gypsum mine workings to a property. It not only tells you when the mine was worked but the depths achieved and if any planning consents are in place to continue mining works. This is particularly relevant to properties located in Cumbria, East Sussex, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.

Highways There are several Highways reports available – for example SiteSolutions Highways report provides comprehensive data relating to the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, road improvement schemes and the identification of rights of way or proposed amendments surrounding a property.

Infrastructure Identify any proposed infrastructure developments near to a property using an Energy & Infrastructure report, including the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail network, Crossrail and Southampton to London pipeline route.

Land Contamination Land contamination has the potential to be a significant issue in just a small number of transactions. It is therefore important to consider what enquiries and specialist assistance should be obtained to ensure appropriate due diligence is undertaken and you do not fall foul of environmental liabilities.

Lawyer Checker Used to gather information on all conveyancers involved in a chain to combat fraudulent attempts. Includes a roll of solicitors / conveyancers, Companies House information, ICO Data Protection Register, FCA Register, Land Registry Transfers of Value lists, Sort code look-up and even Streetview.

Mining Search Mining due diligence is extensive and reports cover everything from Ball Clay, China Clay or Bath Stone Mining, through to Coalfield, Metalliferous Mining and Limestone to name just a few.

National Grid Search The National Grid search examines the proximity of transmission equipment to an address, which is typically protected by easements or wayleave agreements that can restrict development within the locality.

NLIS Hub The National Land Information Service is a government approved and regulated, electronic land and property searches portal for the property searches market. NLIS operates as a single point of electronic access to a variety of official sources of land and property information. It has the only electronic connection to every single local authority in England and Wales.

Official Local Authority Search The Official Local Authority Search (CON29) is an essential part of the conveyancing process and is split into two parts: standard enquiries and optional enquiries. The official Certificate of Search (Form LLC1) will provide entries registered on the Local Land Charges Register only.

Personal Search Personal searches continue to be a popular option, whereby a personal search agent will visit the council and work independently to obtain the data from the Register. This can often be a faster route in some local authorities who have long lead times in returning official searches.

Portfolio Managing a large portfolio of properties is both time-consuming and costly. Using a professionally managed, Portfolio concierge service will remove your administrative burden, reduce processing overheads and delays for your large volume transactions and single complex sites whilst still giving you the visibility you need to delight and update your clients.

Quote Referral System Automate your conveyancing quotation process using an online Quote Referral System that allows you to administer the whole quotation process – from issuing professionally branded and bespoke quotes to receiving instructions from prospective clients – quickly and efficiently.

Radon Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from rocks and soil. Radon risk assessments determine if a property is in a radon affected area, what the probability is of the property being above the action level, and for new properties, what the Building Regulation requirement is for radon protection measures in the location.

RATI Residential Abortive Transaction Insurance (RATI) provides cover on a range of incidences, should a transaction fail to complete in a property chain for reasons beyond the control of the buyer and / or seller.

Subsidence & Sinkholes Identification of subsidence can have a big impact on the availability and range of insurance options as well as mortgages, which can in turn affect local market valuations at a highly individual level. It is therefore important to be informed prior to purchasing a property.

Telecoms Search Specific searches can be carried out with individual telecommunications providers.

These include: COLT Communications, BT Openreach Map Search, Kingston Communications, Energis & Cable and Wireless, Virgin Media, or combined utility reports include all services, including gas, electricity, fibre-optic cables and water.

Title Insurance For defective titles, a host of insurances are available to ensure you are fully covered. This includes for example, non-compliance with building regulations, lack of planning permission, lack of vehicle access, insolvency or restrictive covenants.

Utilities Search A wide range of searches highlight which utility sources are present at a given address. Quickly determine what telecoms, water, gas, oil, fibre optic services or pipelines lead to, or are below the ground’s surface, of a given address.

Water & Drainage Search For residential properties, the CON29 Drainage & Water search provides up-to-date information on the status of the water supply to a property. It considers if the property is connected to both foul and mains drainage, and reveals if the water main or service pipes are adopted by the water authority.

X - Land Registry eXtract service SearchFlow’s Land Registry Extract service downloads data for a specified title number, eliminating the need for lawyers to order office copies and manually copy and paste information into a spreadsheet. Information such as address, class, proprietor details, charges and restrictions can also be included.

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Zero Tolerance The SRA takes a zero tolerance approach for firms who don’t enforce AML compliance policies, and works with law enforcement to ensure that robust action is taken. This reflects the important role of solicitors in preventing organised crime, and the protection they can provide by taking this role seriously.

We’re happy to answer any questions relating to aspects of searches, surveys and insurances. For more information call us on 0800 977 8810 or visit www.searchflow.co.uk

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