Throughout the summer, the Geodesys Customer Service Manager, Nick, will be taking a (virtual) road trip around the Anglian Water and Southern Water regions, from the dramatic coast of the North Norfolk coast to the rolling hills of the South Downs. The LinkedIn initiative aims to raise awareness of hidden environmental risks that could impact conveyancing transactions and pose a potential risk to both buyers and conveyancers.
Throughout the series, Nick will share expert insights and practical guidance from the Geodesys team to support conveyancers in fulfilling their due diligence obligations. The goal is to ensure clients are fully informed prior to completing property transactions.
While all conveyancing searches play a vital role in identifying potential issues before legal ownership is transferred, environmental searches have become especially critical in today’s evolving environmental landscape. These searches can uncover risks such as contaminated land, flooding, radon exposure, subsidence, and nearby energy or infrastructure projects. Including an environmental search in your conveyancing pack not only demonstrates thorough due diligence but also empowers your clients to make informed decisions about the safety and suitability of the property and its surrounding land. Such risks can impact your clients’ health, finances, and even the insurability of their future home or commercial purchase.
Environmental searches examine the historical use of the land, which can highlight certain factors which could potentially become a serious health risk. For instance, properties built on former industrial sites may conceal hazardous substances beneath the surface. Identifying these risks early is vital to safeguarding the wellbeing of future occupants.
For residential buyers, the cost of building and home insurance is just one of the many costs, along with mortgage payments, that prospective homeowners have to factor into their ongoing monthly outgoings. Issues such as subsidence or historic flooding in a property can make securing insurance a challenge, or at the very least, mean the homeowner will have to pay a premium. Uncovering this in an environmental search early will help your client avoid a nasty bill post-completion.
Purchasing a property is one of the most significant financial investments people make, often requiring years of savings. With so much at stake, it is therefore essential to be aware of any factors that could impact this investment. Risks of this nature can result in costly repairs or issues that could make the property difficult to sell in the future. Understanding these risks upfront is crucial.
Geodesys are hoping that their educational summer series on LinkedIn will mitigate against risks that can have lasting consequences for buyers and conveyancers alike. All whilst having some summer fun. Through sharing environmental insights and practical tips, they are hoping to help ensure environmental risks are brought to light before they become costly surprises With a clearer understanding of what lies beneath the surface, conveyancers can provide clients with a more comprehensive view of the property and its future implications.
Make sure you are following the Geodesys LinkedIn page here to keep up to date with Nick’s road trip and to discover which risks could be lurking below the surface.
This article was submitted to be published by Geodesys as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Conveyancer. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Conveyancer
