If your conveyancing has reached the enquiries stage, here is what happens next, how long it typically takes, and what we do to keep things on track.
What Are Enquiries in Conveyancing?
Once we receive the draft contract pack from the seller's solicitors, we review everything carefully before you commit to anything legally binding. Part of that review involves raising enquiries, which are simply written questions we put to the seller's solicitors on your behalf.
Enquiries cover a wide range of topics. We might ask about planning permissions for an extension, boundaries between neighbouring properties, any disputes the seller is aware of, rights of way across the garden, the history of any building work, or matters flagged by your survey. The seller has already answered the standard questions in the property information forms, so our enquiries focus on points specific to your property, including anything raised by your searches or the title documents.
Think of enquiries as our way of making sure you go into this purchase with a clear picture of exactly what you are buying. No surprises after you move in is the goal, and thorough enquiries are one of the most important ways we protect your interests.
How Long Does This Stage Take?
This is one of the most common questions buyers ask us, and it is completely understandable. The honest answer is that it varies, but we can give you a realistic picture.
Once we raise enquiries, we are largely waiting on the seller's solicitors to gather answers from their client and any third parties involved. In a straightforward transaction, responses can come back within two to four weeks. When all the answers are satisfactory and nothing further needs chasing, exchange of contracts can follow relatively quickly after that.
As a rough guide, the period from raising enquiries to exchange of contracts is often somewhere between four and eight weeks, though it can be shorter or longer depending on the specific circumstances of your purchase. After exchange, completion is usually set anywhere from one day to a few weeks later, depending on what has been agreed between both parties.
So if you are wondering how long from raising enquiries to completion, a total of six to twelve weeks is a common range, but we will always give you an honest assessment based on your own transaction as it progresses.
What Can Cause Delays?
Delays at the enquiries stage are frustrating, and we know how much uncertainty can weigh on you, particularly if you have already found your ideal home in Hull or the East Yorkshire area. It helps to understand the common causes so nothing comes as a shock.
- Sellers taking time to gather information. Some questions require the seller to dig out old paperwork, contact their own solicitors from years ago, or obtain certificates and warranties from tradespeople.
- Missing or inadequate documents. If planning consent or building regulations approval cannot be located, we may need to explore indemnity insurance as a solution, which introduces an extra step.
- Leasehold complications. Leasehold properties involve a third party, the freeholder or managing agent, and obtaining a management pack or replies to leasehold enquiries can add weeks to the process.
- Mortgage lender requirements. Your lender may raise their own requirements following a valuation, which we have to satisfy before they will issue a formal mortgage offer.
- Chain-related hold-ups. If the seller is also buying elsewhere, delays in their own purchase can ripple down and affect your transaction.
- Unsatisfactory answers. Sometimes a reply raises further questions, and we have to go back to the seller's solicitors for clarification. We will always explain why when this happens.
None of these situations is unusual, and most can be resolved with persistence and good communication.
How We Chase Enquiries and Keep Things Moving
At Brewer Wallace, we do not simply send enquiries and wait passively for replies. Our conveyancing team actively monitors each transaction and follows up with the seller's solicitors on a regular basis.
We keep detailed records of which enquiries are outstanding and how long they have been with the other side. Where replies are taking longer than expected, we contact the seller's solicitors directly to understand the reason and push for a response. If there is a specific document causing the hold-up, we explore whether there is a practical alternative, such as indemnity insurance, that could allow the transaction to progress.
We also keep you informed throughout. You will not be left wondering what is happening. We will update you whenever there is meaningful progress or when we need something from you, and we will explain clearly what any outstanding issues mean for your purchase.
When all enquiries are resolved to our satisfaction, we will prepare a detailed report for you setting out everything we have found, so you can make an informed decision before you commit by exchanging contracts.
What Happens After Enquiries Are Resolved?
Once we are happy with the replies and all other outstanding matters are in order, including your mortgage offer if you are buying with a loan, we will arrange a time to go through everything with you and answer any questions you have. We will then prepare the contract for you to sign.
Exchange of contracts is the moment the transaction becomes legally binding for both you and the seller. After exchange, neither side can pull out without serious financial consequences. Completion, the day you get the keys, follows on the date both parties agreed at exchange.
In the period between exchange and completion, we carry out final checks, prepare the financial statement showing exactly what you need to pay us, and arrange for the funds to be in place ready for completion day. On the day itself, we transfer the purchase money to the seller's solicitors and, once they confirm receipt, the property is yours.
Talk to Our Conveyancing Team Today
Whether you are at the very start of your purchase or already waiting on enquiries, our conveyancing team in Hull and East Yorkshire is here to help. We handle residential conveyancing for buyers across the region every day, and we understand how important it is to keep things moving and to keep you informed at every step.
If you would like to discuss your purchase with us, or if you are ready to instruct us to act for you, please get in touch. We would be glad to hear from you.
- Hull: 01482 228808
- Bridlington (by appointment): 01262 672321
- Hornsea: 01964 537856
You can also contact us through our website and a member of the team will be in touch promptly.
Our local conveyancing teams: conveyancing solicitors in Hull, Bridlington, Hornsea and Beverley.