1. The search for Chometz should ideally begin immediately after Tzeis Hakochavim, and not be delayed until later on at night.
2. Before beginning the Bedikah some have the minhag to wash their hands, (without a beracha).
3. The Bedikah should be done by the light of a candle. One should also keep on the regular lights in the room(s), and use a flashlight if necessary.
4. One may not do any work, or eat, beginning a half hour before Tzeis Hakochavim until after completing the Bedikah. However, one may eat small amounts of food (the size of an egg), or fruit (even a larger amount) in the half hour before Tzeis Hakochavim.
5. After Tzeis Hakochavim (prior to doing the Bedikah) one should not eat all, but drinking is permitted. One should also not learn Torah until after completing the Bedikah.
6. If one began the Bedikah and forgot to make the beracha, one may make the beracha as long as he has not yet completed the Bedikah. If he has already ended the Bedikah he should make the beracha at the time of the burning of the chometz Wedneday morning.
7. One may not speak between the beracha and the start of the search for chometz. If one did speak, one must repeat the beracha.
8. During the Bedikah one may only speak regarding something relating to the Bedikah itself. If one did speak during the Bedikah (on an unrelated topic) one does not make another beracha.
9. If one forgot, or was unable to make the Bedikah on Tuesday night one should make the Bedikah on Wednesday, as early as possible, by candlelight, with a beracha.
10. If the Bedikah was not done before Yom Tov, a Bedikah should be done on Chol Hamoed with a beracha, (but not on Shabbos or Yom Tov), as soon as one remembers.
11. If one did not remember until after Pesach, a Bedikah should be done even after Pesach without a beracha (to prevent any issur of Chometz She’ovar Ol’ov Hapesach).
12. If one is traveling for Pesach and will not be home on Tuesday evening, one should do the Bedikah the night before traveling without a beracha, followed by the nullification of Chometz that normally follows the Bedikah (as printed in the siddur).
13. If one arrives at a hotel before Tuesday evening (or anytime during the night) one searches the room with a beracha. If one arrives Erev Yom Tov, one searches without a beracha.
14. If one owns or rents an office or a second home one should L’chatchilah do a Bedikah at that location on Tuesday evening. However, if it will be a great difficulty to do the Bedikah one may rent the home/office to a non-jew for Pesach along with a sale of any Chometz in that location.
15. According to some opinions if a 2nd home has not been transferred to a non-jew before Tuesday night the obligation of a bedikah falls upon the Jew. Therefore, it is preferable that one should arrange with his Rov to have the transaction completed with the non-jew before Tuesday evening.
16 Nevertheless, if one did not arrange for the sale to the non-jew before the time of Bedikah, one may rely on the lenient opinions of those that do not require the early transfer.
{Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 431-437}
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The Mishna Brura is (quite obviously) not the complete source for this. Nowhere does he discuss overhead lights or flashlights. In fact, noy all agree that overhead lights should remain on as they can be considered to be similar to daylight.
I saw on halachafortoday.com sources for these halachos from R’Moshe zatzal and R’Elyashiv shlita.
sorry I am late to this, but i just discovered this halacha corner. it should be more prominent on the site as its very good feature