HouseDossier
Conveyancing Property Search

Pre-Conveyancing Checks -
Know Before Your Solicitor Does

Official conveyancing searches can take 8 weeks. HouseDossier returns the equivalent environmental and planning intelligence in 60 seconds - so you make informed decisions from day one, not day 56.

Try a postcode (SW1A 2AA) or “12 SW1A 2AA”. Covers England and Wales.

Free preview always included. Full pre-conveyancing report from £9.95.

Why This Matters

Conveyancing Searches Arrive Too Late to Protect Most Buyers

In the standard English and Welsh property transaction, conveyancing searches are ordered after an offer has been accepted and a solicitor instructed. With Local Authority Search turnaround times averaging 25 days - and some councils taking over 8 weeks - the results frequently arrive after the buyer has already spent several hundred pounds on a survey and incurred significant legal fees.

At that point, discovering a serious flood risk, a contamination notice, or an unresolved planning enforcement order creates an agonising choice: absorb the risk or walk away with nothing to show for your costs. Many buyers absorb the risk.

HouseDossier covers the environmental, planning, and risk data that formal searches reveal - queryable in 60 seconds, before you spend a penny on professional fees.

25 days

average Local Authority Search turnaround in England (2024)

NLIS / Search Acumen

8+ weeks

worst-case LA Search time (some London boroughs)

Search Acumen

£350–£500

typical cost of all conveyancing searches combined

RICS

30%

of transactions fall through after searches are returned

Rightmove 2023

What We Cover

The Data Behind Every Conveyancing Search - Instantly

Our report covers the same underlying government datasets used by professional conveyancing search companies.

Environmental Search Equivalent

Flood risk (EA), contaminated land proximity, landfill sites, radon indicative area (UKHSA), and industrial history from historic OS maps. Mirrors the key data in a formal environmental search.

Planning History (CON29 Equivalent)

Full planning application history from the local authority portal, including decisions, conditions, enforcement notices, and nearby development proposals - equivalent to the planning sections of a CON29.

Mining & Ground Risk

Coal mining history (Coal Authority), BGS subsidence and shrink-swell clay risk - equivalent to a coal mining search and ground stability report. Critical in former mining areas of Wales, the North East, and the Midlands.

Financial & Valuation Intelligence

Full sold price history, council tax band, EPC rating, and comparable sales. Goes beyond formal conveyancing searches to give you the financial context your lender uses in their valuation.

Important Distinction

HouseDossier is a research and intelligence tool, not a formal legal search. Formal conveyancing searches (Local Authority Search, CON29DW, Environmental Search) are required by mortgage lenders and form part of the legal transaction. Our report is not a substitute - it is a faster, cheaper first pass that helps you make informed decisions before committing to professional fees. See our property survey report page for a full comparison.

How It Works

Pre-Conveyancing Intelligence in Three Steps

01

Enter the property address

We match your address to the precise UPRN using Ordnance Survey data. This means results are property-specific, not just postcode-level averages.

02

Parallel queries to 15 government APIs

Environment Agency, Coal Authority, BGS, MHCLG, Historic England, Land Registry, local planning portals - all queried simultaneously. No waiting for each source in turn.

03

Full report available in 60 seconds

Your report arrives section by section as data loads. Use the findings to decide whether to proceed to formal searches, adjust your offer, or instruct your solicitor to focus on specific issues.

Report Preview

What Your Pre-Conveyancing Report Covers

  • Flood zone designation (EA) - all 4 risk types
  • Surface water and groundwater flood risk
  • Contaminated land register proximity check
  • Radon indicative area (UKHSA data)
  • BGS subsidence and shrink-swell clay risk
  • Coal mining history (Coal Authority)
  • Full planning application history
  • Listed building and conservation area status
  • Land Registry title summary and tenure
  • Full sold price history and comparables
  • EPC rating, costs and improvement recommendations
  • Council tax band and estimated SDLT
  • Crime statistics (Police.uk)
  • Broadband speeds (Ofcom)
  • Schools - Ofsted ratings in catchment area

Pricing

One-Off, No Subscription

Quick Check

£9.95per report
  • Flood risk (all 4 types)
  • EPC rating
  • Sold prices
  • Crime data
  • Schools
Get Quick Check
MOST COMPREHENSIVE

Full Dossier

£19.95per report
  • Contaminated land & radon
  • BGS ground & subsidence risk
  • Coal mining history
  • Full planning history
  • AI summary & red flags
Get Full Dossier

FAQ

Conveyancing Searches - Frequently Asked Questions

What are conveyancing searches and which are compulsory?
Conveyancing searches are enquiries made to third parties to reveal information about a property that is not apparent from the title deeds. Three searches are typically required by mortgage lenders and are therefore effectively compulsory: (1) a Local Authority Search (LA1 and optional CON29), revealing planning history, road adoption, enforcement notices and building regulations; (2) a CON29DW Drainage and Water Search, showing proximity to sewers and drains; and (3) an Environmental Search, covering contamination, landfill, flood risk and radon. Additional discretionary searches include coal mining, tin/lead mining (in relevant areas), chancel repair liability, and commons registration.
How long do conveyancing searches take in 2025?
The time for conveyancing searches to come back varies significantly by local authority. A Local Authority Search can take anywhere from 2 days (for councils using the National Land Information Service digital platform) to 8–10 weeks for councils with large backlogs. The average turnaround in England was 25 days in 2024. Environmental and drainage searches are typically returned within 48 hours as they are provided by private search companies. HouseDossier returns equivalent environmental data in under 60 seconds.
Is a HouseDossier report a legal substitute for conveyancing searches?
No. HouseDossier is an information and research tool, not a legally valid conveyancing search. Formal searches are required by your mortgage lender and form part of the legal transaction. If you are purchasing with cash, you are not legally required to obtain formal searches, though it would be inadvisable to proceed without them. Our report is best used before instructing a solicitor - to understand the risk profile, decide whether to proceed, and inform your offer price.
Can I use HouseDossier results to inform what searches my solicitor orders?
Yes, absolutely. If our report identifies elevated flood risk, you might ask your solicitor to obtain a more detailed flood risk search. If we flag BGS subsidence risk, a specialist ground investigation might be worth considering. If planning records show historic commercial use or demolition nearby, a contaminated land search might be prioritised. Using our report to direct your solicitor to specific areas of concern can make the conveyancing process more targeted and potentially faster.
What is included in a Local Authority Search?
A standard Local Authority Search consists of two parts. The LLC1 (Local Land Charges Register) reveals financial charges on the property, planning notices, listed building status, tree preservation orders, and enforcement notices. The CON29 (standard enquiries) covers planning decisions, building regulation approvals, road adoption, environmental notices, radon indicative areas, and more. The optional CON29O includes additional enquiries about parks, pipelines, footpaths, and mineral consultation areas. A HouseDossier report covers most of the environmental and planning data within these searches.
What does a chancel repair liability search reveal?
Chancel repair liability is an ancient obligation that can require certain property owners to contribute to repairs of the local church chancel (the area around the altar). It survives as an overriding interest in land law. A chancel search reveals whether a property is in a parish where this liability exists. It is relatively inexpensive to search and inexpensive to insure against. Post-October 2013, unregistered chancel repair liabilities should no longer bind new purchasers, but checking remains sensible for older-title properties.
When should I run pre-conveyancing checks?
Ideally, you should run HouseDossier checks before making an offer. At that point, you can use the information to decide whether to proceed, adjust your offer price to account for known issues, and identify what specific areas to instruct your solicitor to focus on. At the very latest, run checks before spending money on a physical survey - if serious flood, contamination, or subsidence risks are identified, you may decide to withdraw before incurring significant survey costs.

Pre-Conveyancing Check

Don't wait 8 weeks - get the answers in 60 seconds

Enter any UK address for instant pre-conveyancing property intelligence.

Try a postcode (SW1A 2AA) or “12 SW1A 2AA”. Covers England and Wales.

Free preview included. Full report from £9.95.

Mining & SubsidencePlanning HistoryFlood Risk Check

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