The environmental consequences of building on, for example, contaminated land have become more of an issue in recent years. It is now standard practice to carry out a separate environmental search to identify likely risks.
In addition, your solicitor will check every detail of the contract. For example, the contract will need to specify exactly what is included in the sale, the terms of any lease, and so on.
After exchange of contracts (see 16), your solicitor will check with the land registry to ensure that the vendor has the right to sell you the premises. This includes checking any registered charges such as mortgages on the property.
In practice, your solicitor will also usually be responsible for liaising with the vendor's solicitor, negotiating, and handling completion of the purchase.
