Why Is the Buyer's Solicitor Raising So Many Enquiries?

You have accepted an offer, instructed your solicitor, and sent off the contract pack. Then a few weeks later, your solicitor forwards a long list of questions from the buyer's side. It can feel overwhelming, even alarming. Why are they asking so many questions? Is something wrong with the property? Are they looking for a reason to pull out?

In almost every case, the answer is reassuring: this is simply the conveyancing process working as it should. The buyer's solicitor has a professional duty to investigate the property thoroughly before advising their client to proceed. Enquiries are the mechanism for doing this. Understanding why they arise, what they typically cover, and how to respond efficiently will help you stay calm and keep your sale on the fastest possible track toward exchange.

What are conveyancing enquiries and why do they happen?

Conveyancing enquiries are formal written questions raised by the buyer's solicitor (or licensed conveyancer) during the legal process of transferring property ownership. They are sent to your solicitor, who forwards them to you for your input.

The buyer's solicitor is regulated by either the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). Both regulators require their members to carry out reasonable due diligence before advising a client to proceed with a property purchase. If a solicitor fails to investigate an issue that later causes the buyer financial loss, the solicitor could face a negligence claim. This professional obligation is the primary reason enquiries exist.

Enquiries are raised after the buyer's solicitor has reviewed three main sources of information:

1. Your contract pack \u2014 including the draft contract, title register, title plan, and any supporting documents your solicitor has sent across
2. Your completed TA6 Property Information Form and TA10 Fittings and Contents Form
3. The results of property searches \u2014 local authority, environmental, drainage, water, and any additional searches the solicitor has ordered

Any gaps, inconsistencies, or concerns arising from these documents will be raised as enquiries. The more thorough your paperwork, the fewer questions the buyer's solicitor needs to ask. For a full explanation of how enquiries fit into the conveyancing process, see our guide to what conveyancing enquiries are and how to respond.

Common reasons for a high volume of enquiries

While every property is different, certain factors consistently lead to a larger number of enquiries. If you are wondering why the list seems so long, one or more of the following is likely the cause.

1. Incomplete or vague TA6 answers

The TA6 Property Information Form is the buyer's solicitor's primary source of information about your property. It covers 14 sections including boundaries, disputes, alterations, guarantees, environmental matters, and services. If you leave sections blank, give one-word answers, or fail to attach supporting documents, the solicitor has no choice but to raise enquiries to fill the gaps.

For example, if Section 4 of the TA6 asks about building work and you write "Extension built 2019" without attaching a building regulations completion certificate, the buyer's solicitor will immediately ask for one. Had you written "Single-storey rear extension completed in April 2019 under full plans application; building regulations completion certificate issued by [council] on [date], reference [number] \u2014 copy attached", the enquiry would never have been raised. Our guide on property information form tips covers how to fill in the TA6 to pre-empt the most common questions.

2. Issues revealed by property searches

Property searches are formal checks ordered from third parties such as the local authority, water company, environmental data providers, and others. They often reveal information that the buyer's solicitor needs to investigate further. Common search-related triggers include:

• Local authority search results \u2014 a planning application near the property, a building control record that does not match what you disclosed, or a tree preservation order affecting the garden
• Environmental search results \u2014 contaminated land risk, proximity to a landfill site, or flood risk that differs from your TA6 answers
• Drainage and water search results \u2014 the property not being connected to the mains sewer, a public sewer running under the garden, or no record of a water meter
• Mining or ground stability searches \u2014 the property sitting in an area with a history of coal mining, subsidence risk, or ground instability

Each finding can generate one or more follow-up enquiries asking you to confirm details, provide documentation, or explain discrepancies.

3. Planning permission and building regulations concerns

If your property has been extended, converted, or altered during your ownership (or by a previous owner), the buyer's solicitor will want evidence that the necessary consents were obtained. Under the Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations 2010, most building work in England and Wales requires building regulations approval. Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, development beyond the scope of permitted development rights requires planning permission.

Missing certificates are one of the most common sources of additional enquiries. If a completion certificate cannot be produced, the buyer's solicitor will typically ask whether retrospective regularisation has been considered or whether indemnity insurance can be provided.

4. Boundary discrepancies

The HM Land Registry title plan shows the general position of boundaries but does not guarantee their exact location. If the buyer's solicitor spots a discrepancy between your TA6 boundary answers and the title plan \u2014 or if the physical boundaries on the ground do not appear to match the plan \u2014 they will raise enquiries asking you to clarify ownership, maintenance responsibilities, and any history of boundary disagreements with neighbours.

5. Rights of way, easements, and restrictive covenants

The title register may contain entries about rights of way across the property, easements benefiting or burdening the land, or restrictive covenants limiting what the owner can do. The buyer's solicitor will raise enquiries about any of these that could affect the buyer's intended use of the property. For example, a covenant preventing commercial use, or a right of way allowing neighbours to cross the garden, will always be queried.

6. Building work without documentation

Extensions, loft conversions, garage conversions, rewiring, new boilers, replacement windows, and structural alterations all potentially require certificates. If you (or a previous owner) carried out work without obtaining the appropriate sign-off, the buyer's solicitor will raise enquiries about each item. This is especially common with older properties that have had multiple rounds of improvement over the decades.

7. Access and shared arrangements

If the property has shared access (for example, a shared driveway or private road), the buyer's solicitor will want to understand the legal basis for the arrangement, who is responsible for maintenance, and whether there are any ongoing costs or disputes. These enquiries can be particularly detailed if the arrangement is informal rather than documented in the title.

How incomplete TA6 forms multiply enquiries

It is worth emphasising just how much influence your TA6 answers have on the volume of enquiries. The TA6 is your first opportunity to answer the buyer's solicitor's questions before they are even asked. When you complete it thoroughly, with specific answers and copies of all supporting documents, you pre-empt the majority of standard enquiries.

When you leave sections incomplete, give vague answers, or omit documents, the opposite happens. Every gap becomes an enquiry. Every vague answer triggers a follow-up asking for detail. Every missing certificate generates a request. A poorly completed TA6 does not just result in a few extra questions \u2014 it can easily double or treble the total number of enquiries the buyer's solicitor raises.

For detailed guidance on what to include in each section, see our guide on what to disclose when selling a property.

How to respond to enquiries quickly and effectively

The way you respond to enquiries directly affects how quickly your sale progresses. Here are the principles that experienced conveyancing solicitors recommend.

Be specific and attach evidence

Vague answers are the enemy of progress. Instead of writing "some work was done to the kitchen", write "The kitchen was extended in March 2020 by [company name]. Building regulations completion certificate issued by [council] on [date] \u2014 copy attached. A 10-year insurance-backed guarantee was provided by [insurer] \u2014 copy attached." The buyer's solicitor is looking for certainty, and specific answers supported by documents provide it.

Respond within 48 hours where possible

The Law Society's Conveyancing Protocol encourages prompt responses to all correspondence. Most solicitors consider five working days to be the outer limit. If you can respond within 48 hours, you signal to the buyer and their solicitor that you are a motivated, organised seller. This builds confidence and keeps the transaction moving. Every day of delay adds directly to the conveyancing timeline.

Use "Not known" honestly

If you genuinely do not know the answer to an enquiry, say so clearly and explain why. For instance: "Not known \u2014 this work was carried out by a previous owner before our purchase in 2015 and we have no documentation relating to it." An honest "not known" with context is far safer than guessing. Inaccurate answers, even those given carelessly, can expose you to a misrepresentation claim under the Misrepresentation Act 1967 after completion.

Keep all property documents in one place

Before your property goes on the market, gather all certificates, guarantees, planning permissions, and other paperwork into a single folder \u2014 physical or digital. When enquiries arrive, you can respond without spending days searching through drawers, old emails, or contacting tradespeople for copies. This preparation alone can save a week or more on response times.

When your solicitor should push back

While most enquiries are legitimate and necessary, not all of them are. Some buyer's solicitors raise questions that go beyond what is reasonable in a residential conveyancing transaction. Examples of potentially unreasonable enquiries include:

• Asking for certificates or guarantees relating to work carried out decades before your ownership, where no records could reasonably be expected to exist
• Requesting documents that were never issued \u2014 for example, asking for a building regulations certificate for work that predates the modern building regulations regime
• Raising the same question repeatedly despite a clear and well-documented answer already having been provided
• Asking questions about matters that are entirely outside your knowledge or control, such as the internal affairs of a neighbouring property

A competent seller's solicitor will identify these and respond proportionately. They may provide a measured reply acknowledging the question but explaining why a full answer is not possible, or they may politely decline to answer on the basis that the enquiry is unreasonable. This requires professional judgement. If you feel overwhelmed by the volume of enquiries, speak to your solicitor about which questions genuinely need your input and which can be handled by the legal team. For more strategies on keeping the process efficient, see our guide on how to speed up conveyancing as a seller.

Indemnity insurance as a practical solution

Not every enquiry requires you to produce a missing document or fix an underlying problem. In certain situations, indemnity insurance offers a pragmatic way forward. This is a one-off insurance policy, typically costing between £20 and £300, that protects the buyer (and their mortgage lender) against the financial risk of a specific issue.

Common situations where indemnity insurance is accepted:

There is one important caveat: if you contact the local authority about a missing certificate or consent before the indemnity policy is in place, you may invalidate the insurance. Insurers require that no approach has been made to the relevant authority, as this could trigger the very enforcement action the policy protects against. Always speak to your solicitor before contacting the council.

The buyer's solicitor and their mortgage lender must both agree to accept the policy. In most cases this is straightforward, but some lenders have specific requirements about which insurers and policy types they will accept. Your solicitor will usually arrange the policy on your behalf, and the cost is normally borne by the seller.

The timeline impact of slow responses

Enquiries sit on the critical path of every conveyancing transaction. They cannot be fully raised until the buyer's solicitor has received your contract pack and search results, and exchange of contracts cannot happen until all enquiries are resolved. This makes the enquiry stage one of the biggest variables in the overall timeline.

Each round of enquiries typically takes one to two weeks to complete: the buyer's solicitor sends questions to your solicitor, your solicitor forwards them to you, you respond, your solicitor compiles formal replies, and the buyer's solicitor reviews. If your answers are thorough and well-documented, one round may be sufficient. If answers are vague or incomplete, follow-up rounds are inevitable \u2014 and each adds another one to two weeks.

According to the HomeOwners Alliance, slow responses to solicitor correspondence are one of the most common reasons conveyancing takes longer than expected. A seller who responds to enquiries within 48 hours with comprehensive answers can save three to six weeks compared to one who takes a week to reply with partial information.

A step-by-step approach to handling a large batch of enquiries

If your solicitor has just forwarded a lengthy list of enquiries, here is a practical approach to working through them efficiently:

1. Read through the entire list first. Do not start answering immediately. Get an overview of what is being asked so you can identify themes and gather all relevant documents in one go.
2. Sort enquiries into categories. Group questions by topic \u2014 building work, boundaries, searches, guarantees, and so on. This lets you tackle related questions together rather than jumping between subjects.
3. Identify what you can answer immediately. Some enquiries will have straightforward answers that you can provide right away. Deal with these first to show progress and reduce the outstanding list.
4. Gather supporting documents. For enquiries that require certificates, guarantees, or other paperwork, pull these together. If you need to request copies from tradespeople, the council, or other parties, do this as soon as possible.
5. Flag anything you cannot answer. If a question relates to work done by a previous owner or information you simply do not have, tell your solicitor so they can prepare an appropriate response. Discuss whether indemnity insurance is an option.
6. Send everything to your solicitor together. Rather than drip-feeding answers one at a time, aim to send a complete set of replies in one batch. This allows your solicitor to compile a single, comprehensive response and reduces the risk of follow-up rounds.

How to reduce enquiries before they are raised

The most effective way to handle a high volume of enquiries is to prevent them from being raised in the first place. Sellers who prepare thoroughly before listing consistently receive fewer questions and reach exchange faster. Key preparation steps include:

• Complete the TA6 form in detail. Answer every question with specifics. Attach all supporting documents. Use "Not known" with an explanation rather than leaving fields blank.
• Gather all certificates and guarantees. Building regulations completion certificates, FENSA certificates, electrical installation certificates, gas safety records, damp-proofing guarantees, and any other warranties for work carried out during your ownership.
• Review your title register. Download your title register and title plan from HM Land Registry (available at gov.uk for £3 each) and check for restrictive covenants, noted easements, or entries that might prompt questions.
• Address known issues early. If you know a certificate is missing or a consent was never obtained, discuss the options with your solicitor before a buyer is found. Arranging indemnity insurance or applying for retrospective approval in advance can eliminate entire categories of enquiries.
• Instruct your solicitor early. The sooner your solicitor has your contract pack ready, the sooner enquiries can be raised and resolved after an offer is accepted.

Pine is designed to help sellers with exactly this preparation. By guiding you through your TA6 answers with plain-English explanations, flagging where supporting documents are needed, and helping you assemble a solicitor-ready pack before you list, Pine aims to significantly reduce the number of enquiries the buyer's solicitor needs to raise.

Sources and further reading

• The Law Society \u2014 Conveyancing Protocol (5th edition), TA6 Property Information Form (4th edition, 2020), and standard pre-contract enquiries (lawsociety.org.uk)
• Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) \u2014 Code of Conduct for solicitors, standards of service, and duty of care guidance (sra.org.uk)
• Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) \u2014 Regulatory standards and consumer information on the conveyancing process (clc.gov.uk)
• RICS \u2014 Home surveys, residential property standards, and guidance on Japanese knotweed (rics.org)
• HM Land Registry \u2014 Title register and title plan services (gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry)
• Rightmove \u2014 House Price Index and guides for sellers on the conveyancing process (rightmove.co.uk)
• HomeOwners Alliance \u2014 Research on conveyancing delays and consumer guidance for home sellers (hoa.org.uk)
• Gov.uk \u2014 Building regulations guidance and permitted development rights (gov.uk/building-regulations-approval)

Related guides

• What Do Buyer\u2019s Searches Check?

Frequently asked questions