The questions buyers ask us, answered.
If you can't find what you're looking for here, write to us on the contact page and we'll answer in person.
The basics
What BackStory is and isn't
What is a BackStory report?
A 360° property report on a single UK flat. We pull together the lease, the cladding status, the freeholder, flood and environmental risk, planning history, EPC and price history - then translate it into plain English with a clear verdict you can act on.
Is this a legal survey or a homebuyer's report?
No. A BackStory report is an information tool, not legal or financial advice. It does not replace your conveyancer's searches or a RICS survey. It runs in parallel - surfacing the issues you'd want your solicitor to dig into, and the ones you'd want to walk away from before paying for searches.
Who is it for?
Anyone buying a flat in the UK who wants a second opinion before they exchange. We are especially useful for first-time buyers and anyone buying leasehold, where the risks are hidden in documents most buyers never see until it's too late.
Do you cover houses as well as flats?
Right now we focus on flats, because that is where the lease, cladding and freeholder traps live. Houses are on the roadmap.
Ordering & delivery
Ordering, pricing and turnaround
How long does a report take?
Up to 24 hours. The AI does the reading in seconds, but every report is reviewed and signed off by someone with hands-on property experience before it reaches your inbox. That review is what makes the verdict trustworthy.
How much does it cost?
£30 for a one-off report on a single property — no subscription, no agents, no upsell. Enter an address and a human-reviewed report lands within 24 hours.
What do I need to give you?
Just the address. We pull everything else from public records and our own data sources. If you have the listing URL or lease documents to hand, you can share them, but they aren't required.
Can I order a report on a flat I already own?
Yes. Some owners use BackStory to understand what they have before selling, refinancing or pushing back on a service-charge demand.
The report
What's inside a report
What does the report actually cover?
Ten risk dimensions, scored on a consistent scale: lease and ground rent, cladding and fire safety, freeholder and managing agent, flood and environmental risk, planning history, structural and building condition, EPC and running costs, transaction history, neighbourhood texture, and resale outlook.
Where does the data come from?
HM Land Registry, the Title Register, EPC Open Data, the Building Safety Register, Environment Agency, local-authority planning portals, ONS Census, OpenStreetMap and our own pattern library - built from hundreds of conversations with buyers who got stung after exchange.
How accurate is it?
We work from the same public records your solicitor would consult, and a human expert signs off every report before it goes out. We will tell you where the data is thin or where the AI is uncertain - we'd rather flag a grey area than pretend it's black and white.
What if the report misses something?
Tell us. Every report has a feedback link. If we got something wrong or missed a record, we will rerun and reissue it.
AI & humans
How AI and human review fit together
Is this just AI?
No. A frontier AI model reads the source documents and assembles the draft. A real person with deep property experience then reviews it, fixes anything off, and adds the judgement calls only experience can make. The human signs the verdict, not the model.
Why use AI at all?
Because the records that matter are scattered across dozens of registries, portals and PDFs. AI can read thousands of pages in seconds and connect dots a human reviewer alone would never have time to. The combination is what makes the report possible at this speed and price.
Who works for whom?
We work for you. We do not take fees from estate agents, sellers, developers, freeholders or managing agents, and we never will.
Data & privacy
Your data and the property's data
What do you do with my data?
We use your email to deliver the report and follow up if we have questions. We do not sell it. See our privacy policy for the full picture.
Will the seller or agent know I ordered a report?
No. We only consult public records and our own sources. Nobody on the seller's side is notified.
Can I share the report?
Yes - with your solicitor, mortgage broker, partner, family, anyone helping you decide. The report is yours.
Still have a question?
We answer every message ourselves. Or drop an address in and let the report do the talking.