Property check before buying a house: 12 things to check

People search for a "property check", a "house check" or "check my house" and mean different things. Some want to know about the area. Some want to know who owns the house. Some want to know what is wrong with it. No single free report answers all three.

A free check works from public records. These tell you about the home's sale history, energy rating, flood risk, the neighbourhood and nearby planning applications. They do not tell you what the lease says, what is buried in the deeds or whether the roof leaks.

Our free property checker pulls the public checks together for one postcode, so you can see them side by side. Treat it as the first pass. The sections below explain each check and what to do with the answer.

1. What it sold for before, and what neighbours paid

HM Land Registry records the price paid for homes sold in England and Wales. Look at the last sale of the house and at recent sales on the same street. A big gap between the asking price and nearby sales is a question to ask, not proof of anything. Our sold prices tool shows recent sales for a postcode.

2. Freehold or leasehold

This decides what you own and what you pay each year. GOV.UK's property search gives a free property summary that includes the "tenure type". Our guide on how to check if a house is freehold or leasehold shows the steps.

3. The title register and title plan

GOV.UK sells the title register for £7 and the title plan for £7. The register usually includes the title number, the owner, the last sale price, whether there is a mortgage, and details of restrictive covenants and easements. The title plan shows the property's location and general boundaries. Prices can change, so check them on GOV.UK.

4. The boundaries

GOV.UK says most title plans do not show exact boundaries, and that there is usually no record of who owns the fence, wall or hedge between two homes. If a boundary matters to you, read boundary disputes and who owns the fence and use the property boundaries tool.

5. The energy certificate (EPC)

GOV.UK lets you search for an energy certificate by postcode, street name and town, or certificate number. A property may have no certificate or one that has expired. Use the EPC finder to look one up, and read the recommendations on it, because they hint at the work the house needs.

6. Flood risk

GOV.UK's long-term flood risk service covers England. It shows risk from rivers and the sea, surface water, reservoirs and, where data is available, groundwater. It does not estimate the chance of an individual property flooding, and it leaves out flooding from blocked drains and burst pipes. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own services. Try our flood risk checker.

7. Planning applications nearby

In England, planning applications are searched through each local council's own online register, so search for your council's name plus "planning register". Look for extensions to the house you are buying and large schemes nearby. Our planning applications tool is a quicker way in.

8. Council tax band

GOV.UK lets you look up the council tax band for a home in England or Wales by address or postcode. Scottish homes use the Scottish Assessors. The band tells you what the home will cost to run each year.

9. Crime in the area

Crime is reported by area, not by house. Look at the type of crime as well as the total, and note how recent the figures are. Our crime rate by postcode tool shows the figures for a postcode.

10. Schools

If schools matter to you, check which are nearby and how they are rated. Admission rules and catchment areas are set by the school or the council, so confirm them with the school. Try the schools near you tool.

11. The condition of the building

Citizens Advice is clear that the valuation your lender does is not a survey. The valuer works for the lender. A full structural survey suits a property that is large, more than 80 or 90 years old or in doubtful condition. An intermediate survey, sometimes called a house or flat buyer's report, covers the easily accessible parts and suits newer homes that look reasonably sound. Our survey decoder helps you read the report.

12. The legal checks your solicitor makes

Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer must check there are no problems with the ownership of the property, rights of way and access. Citizens Advice says they make local searches, which are enquiries to the local authority about matters that affect the property, and check the local Land Charges Register. They also send the seller a set of standard questions about the property, boundaries and neighbour disputes. This is the part no free tool can do for you.

A free check is a map of what is public. It does not see inside the walls. It will not tell you about a dispute with a neighbour that has not been recorded anywhere, or about work done without consent unless it appears in a public record. That is why the seller's answers to your solicitor's questions, and the survey, matter.

This page is general information for England and Wales, not legal advice. Scotland uses a different buying process, so speak to a Scottish solicitor if you are buying there.