environment - OneSearch

When purchasing a residential property, especially a high-value or complex one, environmental risks are often overlooked until it’s too late. Industry analysis shows that skipping thorough environmental due diligence can lead to costly surprises, legal headaches, and even failed transactions.

Here’s why Landmark’s redesigned Argyll SiteSolutions Residence report could be your smartest investment in peace of mind.

When your clients dream home comes with a hidden legacy

Picture your client purchasing their ideal home, only to later uncover that the land beneath it was once used for industrial purposes, such as a gas works or depot. While not every case makes headlines, this kind of situation is not uncommon. There are numerous examples where homeowners have discovered soil contamination linked to historic land use, triggering a long and complex process to determine who is responsible for the clean-up costs.

One particularly striking case is in Willenhall, where residents endured a decade-long ordeal after discovering their homes were built on a former gas works site that closed in 1957. The properties were developed by McClean and E Fletcher Builders (now dissolved), and in 2007, Walsall Council began investigating the site as part of its contaminated land strategy. They discovered areas contaminated with benzo(a)pyrene, a known carcinogen, alongside heavy metals, tars, and a gasworks by-product called Blue Billy. The contamination posed a significant possibility of harm, and nearly 90 homes near Kemble Close, Oakridge Drive, and Brookthorpe Drive were declared affected.

In 2015, Walsall Council served a remediation notice on Jim 2 Limited, claiming the company was liable for the contamination. The firm appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, leading to a public inquiry. After years of legal wrangling, the local authority was left with a potential £2.5 million remediation bill, and residents were left in limbo, uncertain when or how the remediation would be completed.

Had a SiteSolutions Residence report been commissioned during the purchase process, our environmental consultants would have flagged the site’s industrial history and potential contamination risks through detailed historic land use analysis. This would have empowered buyers to renegotiate, seek further investigation, or walk away before committing.

Flood: the growing threat

Flooding is still too often seen as a concern limited to riverside properties. Today, more than 4.6 million homes across the UK are at risk from surface water flooding, a number that continues to rise.

When selecting an environmental search for a residential property, the SiteSolutions Residence report stands out as the most comprehensive choice. Our consultant-led flood risk assessments take into account the entire site, delivering a more accurate and practical understanding of flood exposure, particularly valuable for larger or more complex properties.

This boundary-based approach helps buyers and conveyancers:

Identify flood risk across the full extent of the property, including gardens, driveways, and outbuildings.
Provides advice on how flood risk may affect planned renovations, extensions, or future development.
Flag potential insurance challenges or premium increases that could impact affordability or mortgage approval.

Understanding future risks

With the release of the Law Society’s Guidance on Climate Change in 2023, followed by the “Climate Change and Property” practice note for solicitors published in May 2025, environmental due diligence is now expected to go beyond present-day risks. As warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers become more common, these shifting weather patterns, along with rising sea levels, are increasing the likelihood of hazards such as flooding, subsidence, coastal erosion, and heat stress.

To help buyers understand how these future scenarios could affect the usability, value, or adaptation needs of a property, our redesigned SiteSolutions Residence report offers the option to include or exclude climate change analysis, at no extra cost. This flexibility allows conveyancers and their clients to tailor the level of insight to suit the needs of each transaction.

This enhanced due diligence helps to:

Highlight long-term environmental risks that may affect how a property is used or maintained over time.
Identify areas where adaptation measures are required, such as flood defences or insulation upgrades may be necessary, helping clients plan for future costs.
Demonstrate a proactive approach to risk management, aligning your advice with best practice and reinforcing your commitment to thorough client care.

By integrating climate change analysis, the SiteSolutions Residence report supports both home buyers and solicitors in navigating an evolving risk landscape, ensuring that your transaction is underpinned by robust, forward-looking due diligence.

Legal liabilities: protecting buyers and solicitors

Lack of environmental due diligence doesn’t just hurt buyers, it can also lead to legal claims against solicitors. Missed risks like contamination or flood zones can result in unexpected remediation costs, mortgage refusals, or even lawsuits. The Law Society recommends comprehensive environmental searches for all property transactions, especially for high-value or older homes. The SiteSolutions Residence report is manually written and reviewed by accredited consultants, providing clear, actionable insights that protect both buyers and legal professionals.

What makes the SiteSolutions Residence report different?

Manual, consultant-led analysis: every report is written and reviewed by an IEMA-accredited environmental consultant, not just a computer algorithm. This enables enhanced due diligence of environmental risks.
Bespoke risk assessments: the report evaluates potential contamination risks both on-site and in the surrounding area, helping you understand how historic or nearby contaminative land uses could create legal liabilities or impact future development plans. Our flood risk assessments also highlight any concerns that may affect the current use of the property or any proposed changes, ensuring you and your clients are fully informed before proceeding.
Boundary-based reporting: the report assesses the actual site boundary, not just a central point, crucial for large or irregular properties.
Actionable recommendations: bespoke guidance on next steps, so you’re never left guessing.

Don’t let your clients dream home become a nightmare

Whether you’re a buyer, solicitor, or property professional, the Argyll SiteSolutions Residence report is your safeguard against hidden environmental risks. It’s not just about ticking a box, it’s about making informed decisions, protecting your investment, and ensuring peace of mind.

Explore the future of environmental due diligence

Our redesigned Argyll SiteSolutions reports set a new standard for environmental searches. With an intuitive design, industry-leading data interpretation, and upgrades that address today’s most pressing risks, these reports empower you to deliver exceptional service to your clients.

Discover the full portfolio here: https://hubs.ly/Q03NgBtk0

Climate change is no longer a distant threat for the UK property sector, it’s a present-day reality, influencing everything from buyer behaviour to professional advice.

Landmark’s latest cross-market research draws on the perspectives of 150 senior property professionals, including 50 estate agents, 50 residential conveyancers, and 50 mortgage lenders, to reveal how the industry is adapting to this new landscape, where climate risk is now a central part of the conversation.

Climate risk moves to the forefront

Over the past year, concern about climate change has become nearly universal among property buyers and professionals. The sector is seeing this shift first-hand. The days when climate risk was a niche topic are over; it’s now a mainstream consideration that can make or break a transaction.

This heightened awareness is having tangible effects. Conveyancers report that buyers are increasingly willing to walk away from deals if climate risk reports raise red flags. The financial implications are significant, with concerns about mortgage approvals and insurance coverage now tied directly to climate-related findings.

What’s driving this change?

The research points to a shift from general uncertainty about climate change to more practical, property-specific concerns. Energy performance remains a top priority, but more regular heatwaves have pushed heat stress up the agenda. Buyers and professionals alike are asking tougher questions about how homes will cope with rising temperatures, and what features, such as, ventilation, insulation, and EV charging points will help future-proof their investments.

Flooding, once the dominant concern, has slipped down the list, replaced by worries about heat, subsidence, and even coastal erosion. This suggests a more nuanced understanding of climate risk, with buyers looking for homes that are resilient to a wider range of environmental challenges.

Professional advice is evolving

As climate events become more frequent and severe, property professionals are adapting their approach. The majority now recommend further due diligence, such as, climate risk reports earlier in the buying process. There’s also a growing trend towards upfront disclosure, with estate agents increasingly confident in discussing climate risks with clients from the outset.

However, the question of who should take responsibility for advising on climate risk remains open. While environmental specialists are still seen as key, more estate agents and conveyancers are stepping up, supported by new best practice guidelines and internal policies. The Law Society’s recent practice note has provided some clarity, but many professionals are still navigating how to put this guidance into practice.

Barriers and opportunities

Despite this progress, the sector faces real challenges. Uncertainty around regulation and a lack of clear client demand are slowing the pace of change. Data gaps, limited training, and the cost of new tools are also barriers that need to be addressed. Yet, there are signs of optimism: more firms are developing and publishing net zero strategies, and consumer demand for sustainable features is rising fast.

The road ahead

Landmark’s latest research makes it clear that the property sector is at a turning point. Climate risk is now a core part of property decisions, and the industry is responding with greater transparency, better advice, and a stronger focus on resilience. The journey isn’t over, there’s still work to do to embed best practice, clarify responsibilities, and support buyers in making informed, future-ready choices.

But as extreme weather becomes the new normal, one thing is certain: the property sector can’t afford to stand still. Those who adapt will be best placed to thrive in a climate-conscious market.

Download the full report to explore the data, insights, and recommendations shaping the future of UK property.

Climate change is now having a systemic effect on the property market. Landmark’s latest market research report – Climate change in the property sector: A cross-market update, seeks to understand what progress is being made on climate change related resilience and what notable barriers remain.

For this report, Landmark interviewed 150 senior property professionals: estate agents, residential conveyancers and mortgage lenders; all with decades’ worth of experience. In a muted market, beset by other pressures, conveyancers report buyers are increasingly walking away from risky transactions, suggesting a growing consumer sensitivity and more serious financial implications attached to climate data.

Some of the key findings of our 2025 research include:

99% of property professionals say their clients are concerned to some degree with the evolving / future potential threat of climate change when buying a property.
93% of property professionals say that recent climate events have impacted the way they advise clients to think about climate related risks and how they could affect their home.
On average, property professionals are advising 52% of their clients on potential climate change risks to their property (up from 50% in 2024).
Nearly three quarters (74%) of the conveyancers we spoke to now have a net zero strategy.

Download the report by clicking below.

In collaboration with the UK’s leading law firms, three of Argyll’s environmental SiteSolutions and FloodSolutions reports have been redesigned to improve usability and provide clearer guidance.

These renowned and trusted reports go beyond mere data, offering expert analysis and advice to help real estate lawyers, and their clients proceed with confidence and certainty.

Flexible product portfolio

Our range of remastered reports is designed to meet the diverse needs of property lawyers, offering expert recommendations and bespoke risk assessment across a wide selection of reports. This flexibility ensures that the right solution is available for every transaction, every time.

With this in mind, we are launching our SiteSolutions Combined + Climate Change report which includes Landmark’s market leading climate change module. This element provides a forward-looking analysis of how climate change may impact a property over time, helping clients understand potential long-term physical risks such as increased flooding, heat stress, as well as transitional risks such as energy efficiency of buildings.

Providing SiteSolutions Combined reports both with and without a climate change assessment allows lawyers and their clients a choice to decide whether, or when, this information should be part of the due diligence process and / or satisfy client tolerances. This approach aligns with the updated guidance recently published Law Society’s Property Specific Climate Practice Note.

Tailored reports, trusted outcomes

Argyll Environmental is the leading provider of expert environmental risk assessment and consultancy services for the UK property and legal sectors.

Each SiteSolutions and FloodSolutions report is written and assessed by an experienced in-house Environmental Consultant, transforming complex data into clear, visual insights and plain-language commentary. With meticulous attention to detail, our reports offer bespoke recommendations and overall risk assessments tailored to the context of your transaction. The remastered SiteSolutions range of reports sets the highest standard for commercial environmental searches. With an intuitive design, industry-leading data interpretation, and actionable insight, these reports empower you to deliver exceptional service to your clients.

Introducing the first of our enhanced SiteSolutions range:

SiteSolutions Commercial
SiteSolutions Combined
SiteSolutions Combined + Climate Change
FloodSolutions Commercial

Your risk report, now smarter and simpler

Our remastered SiteSolutions reports set a new standard for environmental searches. With an intuitive design, industry-leading data interpretation, and upgrades that address today’s most pressing risks, these reports empower you to deliver exceptional service to your clients.

New landscape layout for easier on-screen reading.
Side-by-side summary pages for Contaminated Land and Flood, enabling quicker comparison.
Data summary maps now appear alongside consultant commentary, helping you interpret risks in context.
Plain English commentary – no acronyms, just clear, relevant insights that enhance the risk assessment.
Hyperlinks throughout to take you directly to the data you need.
Improved flood data summary maps for better visual clarity.
OS MasterMap integration to quickly verify property boundaries and locations.
At-a-glance risk overview so you can immediately see what needs your attention.
Clear author contact details for quick access to expert support when needed.

Explore the future of environmental due diligence. To find our more, click here.

Building on the success of their new residential search reports launched last November, our parent company Landmark are delighted to unveil their new and improved commercial search reports.

The reports are designed to help commercial real estate professionals reduce the time spent interpreting data and access the information they need more easily.

Environmental Insights Remastered 

Landmark’s remastered commercial reports feature unmatched data and clearly defined assessments that empowers commercial property lawyers to navigate the detail seamlessly. With enhanced clarity, they’ll provide all the relevant information to power confident decision-making.

Simple, straightforward, but never standard – led by commercial property lawyers 

Landmark engaged with a large number of commercial property lawyers to shape the design and product brief. The overwhelming response was a call for reports that are more precise, easy to understand and easily direct you to the detail when required. Based on this valuable feedback, Landmark have refined the new commercial reports to be simple, straightforward, but with the most comprehensive information. 

Comprehensive due diligence, made easy

New and upgraded risk modules: Landmark have enhanced their reports to ensure they provide the most comprehensive reports in the market but also the simplest way to convey environmental risk. 
Optimised for today’s workflow: Visually enhanced front pages provide greater transparency for commercial property lawyers, saving valuable time. 
Executive summaries: New executive summary pages for both conveyancers and clients to quickly and easily understand which risks are relevant for that location and what to do next.

To view the remastered catalogue, click the related products links below. For details on Landmark’s new residential portfolio offering, click here.

Sustainability is not just a trend; it is a fundamental shift reshaping the property sector. As climate change concerns evolve and environmental regulations tighten, conveyancers, at the business end of property transactions, are pivotal in guiding clients through all the complexities.

But how, with increasing expectations from home buyers, can small law firms adopt sustainable practices to survive and thrive?

Following the release of Landmark’s reflections and predictions sustainability guide, OneSearch Managing Director, Liz Jarvis, sat down with Landmark’s Group Sustainability Director, Chris Loaring, to discuss sustainability in the property industry and how conveyancers can adapt practices to meet new challenges and expectations.

Sustainability is no longer optional

In 2024, Landmark research showed 93% of property professionals say their clients are concerned about the future threat of climate change. They are increasingly conscious of impacts, energy costs and future-proofing their investments and want to understand flood risks and energy efficiency and how environmental considerations directly affect their property’s value.

This will only increase as the new generation of first-time buyers – typically around 40% of the market – drive conversations, inspired by social media trends and environmentally conscious awareness, and ask for more education.

They will turn to their conveyancers to guide them through the environmental issues and complexities related to their home buying – “so conveyancers need to be ready to answer questions and address those concerns” explains Liz.

At OneSearch, we see businesses that support clients with confident sustainability advice “are creating a really great opportunity for themselves,” says Liz. By moving early, building a strong supply chain, network and partners, they “find mutual value very, very quickly,” agrees Chris.

Conveyancers’ key role

Conveyancers have a crucial role to play in helping clients navigate the environmental aspects of home buying. But it’s more than that for conveyancers, who, to meet new regulations and disclosure requirements, also need to understand how climate change might affect a property’s future value and usability, considering (and explaining to clients):

its resilience to climate change, including flood risks and extreme weather events
future costs of meeting energy efficiency standards
sustainable features that might affect property value
local planning policies, environmental protection, and development restrictions

Unfortunately, the complexities of climate change analysis and demands from clients make a hard job even harder for small conveyancing law firms. “It is understandable that fear and a lack of knowledge are holding back many conveyancing practices,” says Chris Loaring.

“We know conveyancers take on a risk when they accept the responsibility to advise clients on sustainability,” explains Liz. “So, as conveyancing partners, at OneSearch, we provide accurate, reliable information, minimising that risk. We endeavour to make it easy for people to interpret, digest, and understand the information we provide.”

Landmark: leading the way with practical tools and resources

Landmark, uniquely, is involved at all stages of a property transaction, so we use our knowledge to support conveyancers and help them succeed in this evolving landscape.

“We work with agents, upfront, before a property goes on the market,” explains Chris, “then with the lenders as they prepare a mortgage offer, and finally with the conveyancer as they work through the complexities of the property transaction. We see every link in that chain.”

And to support every link in that chain, Landmark has committed to supporting the property sector in its transition to a sustainable future, sharing valuable products and services to address the growing need for sustainability expertise.

“We made the call in 2020 to set sustainability and climate change reporting as a priority, making net zero important to us as a business and to take with us the industries we partner with on the journey,” explains Chris. “We were the first property-related data business to sign up to the pledge to net zero, for example.

“But we found none of our partners really knew where to start in our shared journey to net zero – and we wanted to help. So, we spent a lot of time and effort creating a really accessible, free-to-use starter guide: a six-page document with a tangible starting place.

“Other partners already had a commitment, a pathway, and maybe a progress plan, so we can review, advise, and show them where they can improve in their journey to net zero.”

Beyond face-to-face consultation and ongoing support, we have a suite of digital platforms and software solutions that help our partners track and manage environmental compliance, so they miss nothing during the transaction. These tools can automatically flag potential issues and suggest actions, keeping high-street firms ahead of the curve and thriving.

Building a sustainable firm

Embracing sustainability is more than just meeting legal obligations; you need to future-proof your conveyancing practice. The onus is on law firms to set and implement policy, establishing a process that works for your business.

Liz continued, “We find early adopters and forward-thinking firms that champion expertise in environmental aspects of property transactions can expand the type of work they do and increase their revenue.”

Taking advice from a trusted partner is a great first step; they can tailor an approach that fits your profile and process. This is so much more than box ticking with a single product – this is an opportunity to make business sustaining changes that will drive a prosperous future, financially as well as for the planet.

Incorporating sustainability considerations into your day-to-day business enhances firm reputation and client satisfaction. Younger buyers, in particular, appreciate conveyancers who can speak knowledgeably about sustainability issues and provide practical guidance on environmental considerations.

In 2025, there will be new guidance on how to manage climate change in conveyancing. The main part, part A, focuses on your firm’s own ESG and net zero promises, while a smaller part covers climate risks in property sales.

Nonetheless, it is the smaller part B that conveyancers are talking about, as it focuses on the specific risks of climate change on property transactions and conveyancers’ legal duties of warning and disclosing – and it brings with it a barrage of questions that small legal firms are struggling to contend with. Not least whether you, as a firm, should include climate checks in every sale, none, some, or let clients choose.

“It’s really important to provide full guidance for clients who want to consider climate change in property transactions – and it’s just as important to understand what you’re offering, what it means, and how you can integrate or embed it in your workflow,” says Chris.