Most of the data people pay for is published free by government. The genuine costs sit in a short list — official copies, searches, surveys and professional advice — and knowing which is which saves more than any discount code.
general
What actually costs money in UK property research, and what never should
Most of the data people pay for is published free by government.
- 2 min read
- Updated 21 September 2026
Part 1 of 4
Free, cheap, and genuinely worth paying for
| Item | Cost | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Sold prices, EPC, council tax band, flood rating, recorded crime, planning records | Free | Never pay for these — they are open government data |
| INSPIRE index polygons (indicative boundaries) | Free | Open Government Licence; needs GIS software to open |
| Title register or plan, downloaded | £7 each | Buy direct from GOV.UK |
| Official copy of a title document by post | £11 per document | Only when you need an official copy |
| Conveyancing searches | Varies by council and pack | Necessary; ordered by your conveyancer |
| Survey (level 2 or 3) | Hundreds of pounds | The best money in the whole transaction on an older property |
The pattern to watch for is a service charging for a repackaged free dataset without saying where it came from. If a report will not name its sources and their dates, you cannot check it, and you are paying for presentation.
The things genuinely worth paying for share a feature: a person takes professional responsibility for the answer. A surveyor and a conveyancer carry liability; a dataset does not.
Part 2 of 4
Check it yourself, free
Start with the free checks — no account, no email wall.