My buyer's searches flagged a problem. What now?

What are searches, and what did they actually find?

Conveyancing searches are enquiries a buyer's solicitor sends to public bodies to find out what is recorded about a property and the land around it. They are not an inspection of your house. Nobody visits. They pull records that already exist.

The standard set is the local authority search, which comes in two parts, plus a drainage and water search and an environmental report. The HomeOwners Alliance guide for 2026 puts local authority fees at £50 to £250 depending on the council, with drainage and environmental reports typically £30 to £40 each.

How worried should I be?

Less worried than the phone call made you feel. 23.7% of agreed UK sales collapsed in the first quarter of 2026, according to Quick Move Now's analysis of TwentyCi data published on 24 April 2026. Of the sales that did fail, legal complexity accounted for 6.25%, the smallest cause on the list.

By comparison, survey issues caused 37.5% of failures and a change of heart by one side caused 31.25%. A search finding tends to trigger a conversation about price or paperwork rather than a walkout.

What should I do first?

1. 1. Get the exact wording, not the summary

   Ask your solicitor to send you the actual paragraph from the search result. A finding relayed through an agent and a buyer loses precision at every step, and 'there's an issue with the searches' is not something you can act on.

2. 2. Ask which of three categories it falls into

   Ask your solicitor directly: is this information only, is it insurable, or does it need fixing? Almost everything lands in one of those three, and the answer decides everything that follows.

3. 3. Check whether indemnity insurance closes it

   Indemnity insurance is a one-off policy that covers a buyer and their lender against a specific legal risk, such as an unenforced covenant or missing building regulations paperwork. Lenders accept them routinely. Ask your solicitor what a policy would cost before you discuss money with the buyer.

4. 4. Get one written estimate if something physical is involved

   If the finding points at real work, get one written quote from a qualified contractor. A number on paper from a tradesperson ends a negotiation that is otherwise conducted in guesses.

5. 5. Work out what any reduction actually costs you

   Before you agree to anything, run the reduced figure through to your net proceeds so you know what leaves your pocket after fees, your mortgage redemption and moving costs. Decide your floor in private, then negotiate.

6. 6. Reply once, in writing, with a position

   Send one clear response through your solicitor covering what you will do, what you will pay for, and what you will not. A single firm answer moves faster than a week of relayed messages, and it puts the next decision back with the buyer.

What if the buyer asks for money off?

Treat it as a normal negotiation with a specific figure attached, not as an accusation. Ask what the reduction is based on, and ask for it in writing.

• If an indemnity policy resolves the point, offer to pay for the policy. That closes the issue without touching the price.
• If real work is needed, the written estimate is the number under discussion, not the buyer's opening figure.
• If the finding is information only, say so plainly and hold your price. A recorded fact about the area was true when they offered.
• If you do move on price, move once and say it is your final position.

How do I protect myself while this is being sorted out?

This is the part sellers get wrong. The safest read of a buyer's commitment is not what they say, it is what they have spent and instructed.

• Real commitment looks like a solicitor instructed and paid, searches ordered and paid for, a mortgage application submitted and a survey booked. Your buyer has already paid for these searches, which is itself a good sign.
• Keep your own cheap moves running: your solicitor instructed, your forms returned, your certificates gathered. Momentum costs you almost nothing.
• Hold back the expensive and irreversible moves until the point is resolved. That means large management or leasehold information packs, and the decision to come fully off the market.
• Ask your agent to keep a note of any second-place interest rather than turning it away outright, until the buyer's position is settled.

Around one in four agreed sales in the UK does not complete, and the average gap between sale agreed and completion reached 154 days in Rightmove's 31 July 2026 analysis. Moving in step with your buyer rather than ahead of them is what keeps that stretch from costing you money.

A search result is a fact about the ground your house stands on. It is not a verdict on your house.

Do I have to declare a search finding to future buyers?

You answer the questions on the Law Society's TA6 property information form honestly, and the sixth edition of that form came into force on 30 March 2026 with a fuller set of questions on flooding, including which type of flooding affected the property and whether a flood risk report exists.

A finding in a buyer's search is a matter of public record, so a later buyer's solicitor will find the same thing. Answer accurately and keep copies of anything you obtain, such as an indemnity policy or a certificate. Being able to hand the next buyer a resolved file is worth more than hoping the point stays hidden.

Where does ValuQ fit into this?

ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents, so the price you set and the agent you pick are decisions you make with the full picture in front of you. That is the same principle at work here. See the wording, see the cost, then decide. The sale stays yours to direct.