Home due diligence: what to check before you buy
Due diligence on a house usually happens after your offer is accepted, through your solicitor’s searches and a survey. Much of it can be checked earlier, from official records, while walking away still costs nothing.
Free to start with a postcode. No account needed. See an example report.
How to do due diligence on a house
Before you view: check the area
Enter the postcode above. The free area check shows the flood zone, planning applications within 1 km, recent sales, crime, schools and services nearby.
Before you offer: check the house
The full report checks the house itself: surface water, radon, the ground, old landfill, noise, listed status and conservation areas, extensions with no planning record, its energy certificates and sales history.
Take questions to the viewing
Each finding comes with questions for the agent, your solicitor and your surveyor, and a one-page brief to take with you.
After your offer: searches and a survey
Your solicitor’s searches and a survey are still needed, and your lender may require some of them. Our report helps you decide whether to spend on them, and what to ask.
Keep watching until you get the keys
Add Buyer Watch and we’ll email you when the home’s records change, such as a new planning application nearby, for 12 months.
What we check
- River and sea flood zone, planning applications, sales, crime and schoolsFree area check
- Surface water, flood history and the 2050s flood outlookFull report
- Radon, ground movement, non-coal mining and old landfillFull report
- Listed buildings, conservation areas, Article 4 and protected treesFull report
- Extensions and loft rooms with no planning application on recordFull report
- Road and rail noise at the addressFull report
- Energy certificates, sales history and costs to plan forFull report
- Questions for your solicitor and surveyor, and what we couldn’t checkFull report
Our report, searches and a survey
| What | HomeDueDiligence report | Solicitor’s searches and survey |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before you offer | After your offer is accepted |
| Who orders it | You, online, in minutes | Your solicitor and surveyor, over days or weeks |
| Flooding, ground and landfill | Official maps and records | Environmental search |
| Planning | Applications nearby, protections, and extensions with no record | Local authority search on the property |
| Condition of the building | Not covered | Survey |
| Legal title and rights of way | Not covered | Your solicitor |
Coverage: England, Scotland and Wales. Some checks vary by country: each check lists its coverage.
Sources: Environment Agency, SEPA and Natural Resources Wales; British Geological Survey; Planning Data England and council planning registers; HM Land Registry; Energy Performance of Buildings Register. All data sources
Why do due diligence before you offer
By the time the searches and survey come back, you’ve usually paid a solicitor, a surveyor and a lender’s fees: hundreds of pounds, often more. Finding a problem before you offer costs much less.
Every finding comes from an official record and names its source. We don’t score properties or tell you whether to buy: we show you what the records say and what to ask.
Questions to ask the seller, your solicitor or surveyor
- What do the local authority and environmental searches show, and do they agree with the records?
- Was planning permission and building regulations approval given for each extension?
- Has the home flooded or had subsidence, and have there been insurance claims?
- Which survey level suits the age and condition of this house?
The full report ties questions like these to what it finds at the house.
Common questions
What is a home due diligence report?
A report on a home you’re thinking of buying, gathered from official records before you offer: flooding, planning, the ground, noise, energy, sales and the neighbourhood, each with its source.
Does it replace conveyancing searches or a survey?
No. Your solicitor’s searches and a survey are still needed. Our report comes earlier, so you can decide whether to go ahead before spending on them, and know what to ask.
Does it give the house a score?
No. We never score properties or tell you whether to buy. You get the facts, their sources, and the questions worth asking.
How much does it cost?
The area check is free. The full report is £9.99, or 3 for £19.99: pay once, no subscription.
Official records, not advice. We never score properties or tell you whether to buy. Check a postcode