Search fee refunds explained

Most of the conversation around a failed property purchase focuses on legal fees. Search fees rarely get a mention, yet they’re a real cost, usually a few hundred pounds, paid out early in the process, and easy to lose sight of until you’re facing the prospect of paying for a second set on a different property.

Here’s what typically happens to that money, what to look for if a firm offers some kind of refund on it, and how Best Value Conveyancing’s own Search Rebate works.

One of three guarantees included as standard with every quote.

miniature house woman using calculator pen paperwork

What happens to your search fees if your purchase falls through

Searches, the local authority, environmental, drainage and similar checks carried out on a property, are ordered and paid for early in a purchase, usually well before exchange. They’re disbursements, third party costs your solicitor pays out on your behalf, not part of their own legal fee.

Once a search has been ordered and carried out, that cost has genuinely been spent with the third party search provider. If your purchase then falls through, there’s no getting that money back from the provider that did the work. If you go on to buy a different property, a fresh set of searches usually has to be paid for again from scratch.

Why some firms offer a rebate or refund on your next searches

Before assuming a rebate covers what you think it does, it’s worth checking:

  • Whether it’s a full refund or a capped discount
  • Whether that cap actually covers the cost of your next set of searches
  • Whether it applies automatically, or you need to submit a claim with supporting documents
  • Whether you’re tied to using the same firm again to qualify
  • Whether it’s a one-off benefit, or something you can rely on again if it happens more than once

Best Value Conveyancing's Search Rebate

Ours is included automatically as part of your purchase quote, alongside our No Move, No Fee guarantee and our Fixed Legal Fee Guarantee, there’s nothing separate to apply for.

If your first purchase falls through after you’ve paid for a set of searches, and you go on to buy a different property with us, you get a £75 discount on the searches for that second property, capped at whatever those searches actually cost.

It applies automatically once the conditions are met, there’s no separate claim form to fill in. To qualify:

  • You paid for a full set of searches on the first property, ordered through an authorised search provider
  • You instruct us again for the second property’s conveyancing
  • The discount applies to the second property’s searches and can’t exceed their value

Most rebate schemes like this only work once. Ours doesn’t. If your first purchase falls through, the rebate applies to your second. If that one falls through too, it skips the third, then applies again on your fourth, and keeps going in that pattern for as long as you need it.

Get your instant quote to see your fixed fee, including your Search Rebate as standard, or call us on 0800 038 7007.

Frequently asked questions

Do you get your search fees back if a purchase falls through?

Not from the search provider itself, that cost has genuinely been spent. Whether you get any refund or discount on your next set of searches depends entirely on your conveyancing firm’s own policy.

What’s the difference between a search refund and a search rebate?

A refund typically means the full cost is waived or returned. A rebate, like ours, is a fixed discount rather than the whole amount. Worth checking which one a firm is actually offering before assuming it covers everything.

How much is Best Value Conveyancing’s Search Rebate?

£75 off the searches on your next property purchase, capped at whatever those searches cost, if your first purchase fell through after searches were paid for.

Do I need to make a claim to get the rebate?

No. Once the conditions are met, it applies automatically when you instruct us on the second property.

Does the rebate apply every time a purchase falls through?

It alternates. It applies on your second property after a first fall-through, skips the third if that one also falls through, then applies again on the fourth, and so on.

Does the Search Rebate apply if I’m selling rather than buying?

No. It’s a benefit on purchase quotes, since searches are ordered and paid for by the buyer.

Can I cancel my searches once they’ve been ordered?

Once an order’s been placed with the search provider, the usual 14-day cancellation right doesn’t apply, given how bespoke each search is. A cancellation after that point is considered case by case, and a refund is only possible if the search provider can recover the cost from their own supplier.