Guides
Every check worth doing before you offer on a property, written so you can do it yourself. Each one names the official source and says what the result actually means.
Start hereWhat a Property Listing Doesn't Tell You
Estate agents must publish council tax, tenure and flood risk. Here is what a listing still leaves out, and where to find each missing fact yourself.
How to Check Flood Risk Before Buying a House
Free official flood checkers for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, what each risk rating means, and how flood risk affects insurance and mortgages.
What a Short Lease Means When You're Buying
Why 80 years is the number that matters, what lenders will and won't accept, what extending actually costs, and where leasehold reform has got to.
How to Check a Property's Planning History
Search any council's planning register for approvals, refusals and enforcement on a property and its neighbours, and learn what the records actually mean.
Conveyancing Searches Explained
What searches a solicitor does when you buy a house, what each one covers, what they cost, how long they take, and the gaps they leave for you to fill.