What are Enquiries When Buying a House?

This includes confirming that the seller legally owns the property and has the right to sell it, in addition to clarity on the property’s boundaries. This may also include enquiries about who is responsible for maintaining boundary walls and any communal areas.

These will be questions about past renovations, planning permissions for the home and structural issues. Your solicitor will request any details of denied works or plans, past work and any structural concerns known to the seller. If required, they can also enquire about indemnity insurance.

If the property is leasehold, your conveyancer is likely to submit enquiries surrounding the terms of the lease, any ground rent or service charges and the remaining lease duration. They can also query about any restrictions and other relevant details about the lease of the home. If you are buying a freehold property, these enquiries will not be required.

Local authority checks can reveal details regarding footpaths, highways, planning and building regulations in the surrounding area. If there is anything concerning or unclear reported, your conveyancer can raise this as a query with the seller’s solicitor.

An environmental search can identify potential risks like flood zones or contaminated land. Your solicitor can follow up on these by asking the seller to confirm if there have been any issues related to the findings. They can also ask if there was any impact on insurance premiums.

These enquiries are essential for ensuring proper connection of gas, water, electricity, and drainage. It would also be helpful to enquire as to the location of meters and stopcocks. Your solicitor may ask about upgrades to any of the utilities and if building regulation certificates are present for these works.

This includes rights of way, property restrictions, and shared responsibilities. Although more likely with leasehold properties, it is important to ensure there are no restrictions or responsibilities that will fall to the buyer once contracts have been exchanged.

These relate to what is included in the sale and should be detailed in the TA10 Form including white goods and kitchen appliances, curtains and blinds or large decor items (such as fixed mirrors and light fixtures). Any questions related to the TA10 Form can be raised as part of the enquiries.

Reviewing any history of neighbour disputes or property-related complaints. This can include Party Wall concerns (such as boundaries or planned works), noise complaints and anti-social behaviour-related issues or even parking concerns.

Delays can happen due to a lack of communication from either party. Regular and clear communication is essential for the progress of a property sale. Buying and selling property can be time-consuming but enquiries are essential and must be completed before the sale can be finalised.

Misunderstandings could arise if you are not clear about your concerns or requests. If a seller or their solicitor, for any reason, has made a verbal promise or arrangement with you, this must be put in writing for it to be included with your legal documents.

One of the best ways to ensure a smooth enquiry process is to have a regulated and reliable solicitor. They will make the enquiries on your behalf and report back to you, so your trust in their ability to do so effectively is vital.

Regular communication with your solicitor is vital at every stage of the conveyancing process. When it comes to enquiries, make sure you query anything you are unsure of or have concerns over. You may also want to include some queries of your own, for example, if there is something in the home you want to request to be included in the sale. Make sure you ask these questions in good time and follow up with your solicitor.