An open home shows you the kitchen, the natural light and the size of the backyard. What it can’t show you is what’s registered on the title, what the planning rules allow next door or whether a past owner built something without approval. That information comes from property searches. They’re a big part of what you’re really paying for when you look up conveyancing lawyers Sydney and choose one to handle your purchase.
Searches aren’t the most exciting part of buying a home. They’re often the part that matters most, though, because they reveal the things you can’t fix with a coat of paint.
The title search
Everything starts with the title. A title search confirms who legally owns the property and whether the person selling it actually has the right to do so. It sounds obvious, but mistakes and misunderstandings do happen, particularly with deceased estates or properties held by companies.
The search also shows what’s registered against the land. That can include mortgages that need discharging at settlement, caveats lodged by someone claiming an interest and other notations that affect how the property can be used. If something unexpected appears, you’ll want to know before you’re locked in, not after.
It’s also worth checking that the property description matches what you think you’re buying. Boundaries, lot numbers and the land’s dimensions should line up with what you saw at the inspection. If something doesn’t seem to match, such as a fence that looks out of place, a survey can confirm where the boundaries actually sit.
Planning and zoning information
Picture buying somewhere quiet and then watching a block of units go up across the road. Planning information won’t predict every development, but it tells you what the zoning allows on your land and the land around it.
Zoning affects more than your neighbours. It can limit whether you can add a second storey, build a granny flat or run a small business from home. If you’re buying with plans to extend or subdivide, the zoning is the first thing to check, because it can turn a good idea into a non-starter.
Planning records may also flag environmental overlays, such as flood-prone land, bushfire risk or heritage controls. Each of these can affect what you’re allowed to build, what insurance costs and how future buyers see the property.
None of these overlays means you have to walk away. They simply give you a clearer idea of what owning the property will involve, so you can plan with your eyes open.
Easements and covenants
Easements give someone else a right over part of your land. A neighbour might have a right of way along your driveway, or a utility provider might have the right to access pipes that run under your lawn. Easements usually stay in place when the property changes hands, so they become your arrangement too.
Covenants work a little differently. They’re restrictions written into the title that limit what owners can do, like the materials you can use, the height of a fence or whether you can build a second dwelling. Some date back decades and seem quaint. Others are very much enforced.
Neither is automatically a problem. A sewer easement along the back fence might never cause a moment’s trouble. One that runs right through the spot where you’d planned a pool is a different story.
Services, drainage and sewer lines
Where do the pipes go? It’s not a question many buyers ask, but service diagrams can show the location of sewer and stormwater lines on the property. That matters if you’re planning to extend, dig or build anything substantial, because building over certain services can require approval or be off the table entirely.
These diagrams can also hint at past work. If the house has an extension that isn’t reflected anywhere in the records, it’s worth asking a few more questions.
Approvals for what’s already there
Decks, carports, granny flats, enclosed verandahs and converted garages are all common in older homes. Were they approved? Building records can help you work out whether structures on the property had the necessary approvals when they were built.
Unapproved work isn’t always a disaster, but it can create headaches. You might inherit an obligation to fix it, struggle to insure it or have trouble when you eventually sell. Knowing about it early gives you options. You might negotiate, ask for the issue to be resolved before settlement or decide the property isn’t for you.
Outstanding charges and notices
Some searches check for money owed or orders issued against the property. Unpaid rates, water charges and land tax can sometimes attach to the land rather than the person, so you’ll want them dealt with as part of the sale.
Searches can also uncover council notices or orders that haven’t been resolved, such as a requirement to repair a dangerous structure or remove an unapproved one. Those are exactly the sort of surprises nobody wants to discover after moving in.
Making sense of the results
Search results arrive as a stack of certificates, plans and reports, and they’re not always written in plain English. Reading them in isolation can be confusing. Reading them together, alongside the contract, is where the real picture emerges.
That’s why it helps to have someone go through them with you and explain what each finding means for your plans. A notation that looks alarming might be routine, while something that seems minor could affect what you want to do with the land.
Timing matters
When should searches happen? Ideally before you’re fully committed. Some information comes with the contract, while other searches need to be ordered separately, and a few can take time to come back.
Building that time into your plans means you’re making decisions with the full set of facts rather than racing a deadline. If you’re bidding at auction or working to a tight timeframe, talk to your lawyer early about which searches can be done in advance.
Every property is different, and the searches that matter most depend on the land, the type of home and what you plan to do with it. This article is general information only, not advice about any particular purchase. A conversation with a qualified property lawyer before you sign will help you understand exactly what you’re buying and what comes with it.
This article provides general information only and is not a substitute for legal advice. Always seek professional advice tailored to your circumstances.