The process of selling or buying a property can be one of the most stressful experiences in a person's life. Last minute changes or unpleasant surprises beyond the point of purchase, or even the fear of them, can be a source of great anxiety. Every party involved needs to be confident that the deal will be made in a spirit of trust and honesty, and that there is some recourse to be had in the event of dishonest dealing or even of genuine human error.

That is why in 2006 the Search Code was introduced, providing reassurance and protection for those involved on all sides of property transactions. Sponsored by CPSO, the Council of Property Search Organisations, the Search Code is subscribed to by search companies and a register of subscribers is held by PCCB, the Property Codes Compliance Board.

The aims and objectives of the Search Code are to provide protection for all those involved in a property transaction, to set out minimum standards to which organisations compiling and selling search reports have to comply, to promote best practice within the industry, and to enable customers and professionals involved to have confidence in organisations that subscribe to the code.

A revised and strengthened Search Code was published in October 2010, a move welcomed by the PCCB as one that will increase public confidence in the process.

Those who fail to meet the Board's requirements can be penalised. As recently as last month a Plymouth-based company was suspended after it failed to submit information required for a compliance spot check within the deadline that it had been given. The threat of sanction is by no means an empty one.

Companies subscribing to the Search Code [http://www.purplebridge.co.uk/searches.html] and registering with the PCCB offer by doing so a great deal of comfort as they produce clear, concise and accurate reports over a full range of property related searches within an agreed turnaround time.

The reassurance that comes with a protected and regulated process can never be overstressed. When a property search is undertaken by an experienced and reliable company everybody can enjoy complete security and peace of mind.