Cheaper fees to help home movers

Archived press release

Date Published: 31/10/08

Selling your home? See us for your search

Aylesbury Vale District Council is making it easier for homeowners to sell their property.

From 3 November, the local land charges search fees charged by the council are being reduced from £160 to £99. This fee applies to all standard searches whether residential or commercial.

Local land charges searches, which let buyers know about any restrictions, such as planning permissions, that could affect their new property, form an essential part of Home Information Packs (HIPs).

Local authorities are the custodians of huge amounts of data, including on highways and building regulations. Having an official local authority search in the HIP will give home buyers a full picture about the property they are planning to purchase and will enable them to make informed decisions.

AVDC uses National Land Information Service (NLIS) electronic search channels to retrieve and process official local searches. Using NLIS, the average turnaround time for searches is just one day.

When the council produces a search for a HIP, it will issue a refresh certificate that’s valid for six months. If the property hasn’t sold within that time, the council will refresh the search at no further charge.

Councillor Huw Lewis, Cabinet Member for Corporate Issues, said: “We believe the new fee makes us more competitive in a very challenging market place. We hold all the source information on our computer systems and we guarantee that our searches are the most comprehensive available. Our local land charges team has over 34 years’ experience; they know the area really well and offer a high quality service.”

For more information about searches, call 01296 585039.