What Searches Are Involved in Buying a Home in Northern Ireland?

Published 20 May 2025

When buying a home in Northern Ireland, the solicitor will carry out a series of property searches. These are vital checks that reveal legal or planning issues that could affect the property's value or your ability to use it as intended.

The main searches include:

• Property Certificate Search – This comes from the local council and reveals planning permissions, building control history, enforcement notices and other important details that may affect the property.
• Statutory Charges Register Search – This reveals if any public authorities have rights over the property, such as road widening schemes or compulsory purchase orders.
• Land Registry or Registry of Deeds Search – Depending on how the property is registered, this confirms the legal ownership and checks for any burdens or rights affecting the land.
• Bankruptcy Search – Required especially if you're using a mortgage, this checks if either party is subject to any bankruptcy or enforcement action.
• Environmental or Flood Risk Searches (optional) – Depending on the property's location, your solicitor may recommend further searches to assess flood risk, contamination or subsidence.
  
   

These searches are there to protect you. Issues such as unauthorised building work or a boundary dispute can cause problems later. By identifying them early, you can either renegotiate, pull out or seek further advice before it's too late.