Local authority or personal search?

[miggles33]

I am buying a house with cash but will get a mortgage on the house in 6 to 12 months time. I have just had my conveyancing forms through. Would a personal search be just as high quality? I guess I will need to get a new search when I apply for a mortgage too? Any advice on searches appreciated :)

Im not sure how you do a 'personal search' ?? I only know about local authority searches. Its standard practice for solicitors to carry out prior to buying any property.

Or are you talking about surveys? The mortgage company will always do a valuation survey before offering a mortgage but you can arrange one yourself before buying to make sure the property is sound. You can have a 'homebuyers' one which is more detailed than a mortgage valuation or a full structural which is recommended for older properties or where a lot of work is required?

Why would.you consider a personal search you are relying on somebody going and searching the council records,best people to do that is the council.

Far better to.do a proper search now and not get any surprises when uou cone to remortgage. You could always possibly get indemnity insurance for the remortgage so may not be an issue.

Personal searches cannot be relied upon in the same way as a proper local authority search. If the personal search fails to reveal something that the local search would have revealed, the council will say they are not liable as they have all of the papers to the person doing the search, the person will say they never received the relevant papers, and there will be no proof either way so you won't be able to recover your losses from either of them.

The only advantage of a personal search is speed.

So unless you're in a massive hurry, you should get a local search done properly.

Exactly as Spot says - a personal search is effectively someone employed by a search company who goes to the Council's offices and searches the records (have simplified it, but you get the gist). The advantage is that you get the results there and then - i.e. as soon as that person reports back.

With the local authority carrying out the local authority search, there is a set process and is more likely (imo) to be thorough although you have to wait longer.