Conveyancing - searches

[areyouhavingagiraffe]

Hi all, I have a conveyancing query. I have paid my solicitor £375 for "local searches". Apparently these are expected back in early Sept. I have looked at the turnaround time for searches on my local authourity website and this is stated as 20 working days. When I queried this with my solicitor I was told that this turnaround search is for "full local searches" and we have applied for "personal searches". I have asked him to advise me of the increase in cost (ball park) of a "full local search" and he has said he would get back to me. Would anyone know the difference between the 2 searches and is a "full local search" likely to be significantly more than the £375 I have already paid?

Personal.search is done by a specialist who goes to the council and writes up the report, producing it in as little as a few days. It started in the 80s and was the solution to the weeks it might take the council to produce the reports. It does cost more. I've just paid £200 for searches (not personal) in London and it took a couple weeks. I don't understand why your solicitor is not expecting searches back until September, especially if he hired a search provider, the whole point of which is to do it quickly. I also do not understand the difference between a 'local search' and 'full local search', I don't think there is one (in the 20 plus properties I've bought it was just 'searches').
Either there is a basic misunderstanding about what is going on or your solicitor is incompetent. Insist on clarification (and you should have been provided with a costs breakdown when you first engaged him).

Seems like a long time him I know personal searches take a bit longer but I wouldn't say longer than 6-8 weeks, unless because of covid and people working from home at the council etc it's delaying things a lot more

Thanks both. I was provided with a breakdown of costs, which says local search. I was very surprised when I was told about the two different searches earlier today and have expressed this is writing. I will follow up tomorrow as I am not waiting 4 months for the searches! I know that Councils are busy but that is just ridiculous.

It is indeed ridiculous!
Almost sounds ilke he said that so you will pay more for the personal search - as if he wants to give this job to someone he knows. Just tell him that this can not be true and you have knowledge of the usual timescales.

The one time I had a personal search it was three days! Long time ago, but the whole point is I had five days from offer to exchange, so I paid extra to get it done quickly. No way would ANY kind of search take four months!