Industry body criticises ‘postcode lottery’ affecting property searches

An industry body for the searches sector has criticised the “postcode lottery” affecting homebuyers across the UK leaving some purchasers waiting for up to three months for their searches.

The Association of Independent Property Search Agents (IPSA) say the delays stifling some parts of the housing market are sometimes unavoidable – but there are ways of speeding up transactions for the benefit of buyers.

Andrew Prismall, chairman of IPSA, says the local authorities are under pressure, but that buyers’ conveyancers and estate agents can support speedier outcomes by reviewing how searches are conducted.

“A recent report which shows buyers in Bolton were waiting up to 120 days doesn’t surprise us, sadly, and highlights the need for wholesale changes in how property searches are approached.”

Prismall added that, while a good search agent with good local knowledge and relationships with their local planning department can often get a search done “in a matter of days”, this isn’t always the case:

“Unfortunately, a lot of people now find themselves tied into packages from estate agents – especially online agents – which limits their choice when it comes to which conveyancers and search agents handle their sale.”

IPSA’s Make the Switch campaign has seen it working with the conveyancing sector to encourage the use of local search agents rather than out-sourcing to external panels which IPSA say is where delays are common. Prismall added:

“[Homebuyers] are often told they have to use the professionals recommended by the agent or pay higher fees. The problem is, these agents could be based anywhere in the country and are unlikely to have the local knowledge which is vital for a comprehensive and accurate search.

They are also often deluged with cases to get through, which causes a jam in the whole system.”

Prismall went on to call for the “tie-ins” between agents and search agents to be banned:

“Except in a few unusual cases, there is no reason why searches should take so long, and it is not fair that buyers are being caused more stress, more cost, and in some cases even losing the property they want to buy, just because of an entirely avoidable jam in the system.”

He did, however, add that the issues buyers are presented with are not always as a result of the tie-ins:

“Even when buyers aren’t tied into these package deals, some are waiting ridiculous times for searches. Sometimes this can be an issue within the council planning department, or there might be a particularly complex set of searches which need to be done – but usually, there is no obvious reason.”