The Short Answer
Enquiries are questions raised by your conveyancer with the seller's solicitor to clarify information about the property or request documents that are needed before you become legally committed to the purchase.
Their purpose is not to delay the transaction. They are raised to ensure that you have the information you need to make an informed decision and that any legal issues are properly investigated before Exchange of Contracts.
What Are Enquiries?
Every property is different.
Although the seller provides information about the property at the start of the transaction, there are often matters that require further clarification or supporting documentation.
Your conveyancer will carefully review the title documents, property information forms, search results and any other paperwork provided. If something is unclear, incomplete or requires further investigation, enquiries will be raised with the seller's solicitor.
What Sort of Questions Might Be Asked?
The enquiries raised will depend entirely on the property and the documents received. Examples include:
- Requesting copies of planning permissions or Building Regulations approvals.
- Clarifying whether alterations received the necessary consents.
- Confirming rights of way or access arrangements.
- Asking about guarantees, warranties or certificates.
- Clarifying boundaries or ownership issues.
- Confirming compliance with restrictive covenants.
- Asking about service charges or ground rent for leasehold properties.
- Requesting additional information following the results of searches.
Every set of enquiries is unique. Two neighbouring properties may require completely different enquiries depending on their history and documentation.
Why Can't You Just Accept the Seller's Answers?
Your conveyancer has a duty to investigate matters on your behalf and, where you are obtaining a mortgage, to comply with your lender's requirements.
Where clarification or supporting evidence is needed, it is important that this is obtained before Exchange of Contracts wherever possible.
Simply accepting assumptions or incomplete information could expose you to legal or financial issues after completion.
Do More Enquiries Mean There Is a Problem?
Not at all.
It is perfectly normal for enquiries to be raised during almost every property transaction.
In many cases, they simply confirm information or request documents that have not yet been provided.
Occasionally, enquiries identify an issue that requires further investigation, but that does not necessarily mean the transaction cannot proceed.
Why Can Enquiries Take Time?
Your conveyancer sends enquiries to the seller's solicitor, who must then obtain instructions from the seller or seek information from third parties, such as:
- Managing agents.
- Freeholders.
- Local authorities.
- Developers.
- Surveyors.
- Utility companies.
This means the speed of the response often depends on how quickly the relevant information can be obtained.
What Happens Once the Replies Are Received?
Your conveyancer will carefully review every reply and any documents provided.
If the replies answer the questions raised, no further action may be needed.
If additional clarification is required, further enquiries may be raised. This is a normal part of the process and helps ensure that important issues are fully investigated before you commit to buying the property.
Why Are Enquiries So Important?
Exchange of Contracts is the point at which you become legally committed to the purchase.
After exchange, it may be too late to raise concerns that could have been identified beforehand.
Enquiries are therefore one of the most important ways your conveyancer protects your interests, helping to ensure that you understand the legal position before making one of the biggest financial commitments of your life.
Top Tip
Quick replies from the seller's solicitor do not always mean the replies are complete.
Your conveyancer will carefully review every response to ensure the information provided properly answers the enquiry. It is often better to spend a little longer investigating an issue before exchange than to discover a problem after completion.
In Practice...
One enquiry can sometimes prevent a significant issue later.
For example, a simple request for supporting documentation may reveal that a loft conversion has no Building Regulations approval, an extension was built without the necessary consent, or a right of way shown on the title has never been exercised. In many cases, these matters can be resolved before exchange through additional evidence, further enquiries or, where appropriate, indemnity insurance.
Every enquiry has a purpose, and our role is to ensure that no important issue is overlooked.
Did You Know?
There is no standard number of enquiries in a conveyancing transaction.
Some properties require only a handful of enquiries, while others—particularly leasehold properties, older homes or those that have been altered—may require considerably more. The number of enquiries is not a measure of how good or bad a property is; it simply reflects the legal investigations needed for that particular transaction.