The true cost of searches

At some point in our lives, most of us will make the decision to invest our hard earned money into a property. Upon completion we obtain a home and along with it a sense of pride, but are any of us prepared for the complications and stress that can occur during the house purchase process?

Choosing a quality solicitor is the first and key step to ensuring that your house purchase goes smoothly.

You should be able to feel comfortable that they are making the right decisions for you, with your best interest at heart, but how do you know what the right decisions are?

Your solicitor will advise you to carry out searches on the property. Many buyers resent having to pay approx. a further 0.01%* of the house price to cover this cost. Realistically the cost of not getting them can be far greater.

Some searches are specific to the geographical location whilst some are recommended by the Law Society to be carried out on every occasion. The Law Society is the professional association that represents and governs the solicitors' profession; awarding their recommendations with both substance and impartiality.

The Law Society's CON29DW Drainage and Water Enquiry protects you by providing essential information early in the process and full redress against the water and sewerage company in the event that a search is wrong. Wessex Searches are the only providers of the Law Society's CON29DW Drainage and Water Enquiry in and around the Wessex region. We work closely with Wessex Water, Bristol Water and Sembcorp Bournemouth Water to provide you with accurate information and ongoing assistance, helping make your purchase less stressful and your searches priceless.

Don't accept cheap imitations; ensure that your solicitor has instructed Wessex Searches to carry out your Drainage and Water Enquiry.

* Figure is based on the national average house price provided by the Land Registry of England and Wales for August 2014.