What Are Conveyancing Enquiries and How Should Sellers Respond?

Once you have accepted an offer on your property, the legal side of the sale begins. Your solicitor sends a draft contract pack to the buyer's solicitor, and then — often within a week or two — you receive a list of written questions back. These are conveyancing enquiries, and how you handle them has a direct impact on whether your sale completes quickly or drags on for months.

This guide explains what conveyancing enquiries are, what the most common ones look like, how they relate to your TA6 form answers, and how to respond in a way that satisfies the buyer's solicitor without unnecessary back-and-forth. If you are selling a property in England or Wales, understanding this process can save you weeks of delays and reduce the risk of your sale falling through.

What are conveyancing enquiries?

Conveyancing enquiries are formal written questions raised by the buyer's solicitor (or licensed conveyancer) during the legal process of transferring property ownership. Their purpose is to investigate anything about the property, its title, or the terms of the sale that is unclear, incomplete, or potentially problematic.

The buyer's solicitor has a professional duty — enforced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for solicitors and the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) for licensed conveyancers — to carry out reasonable due diligence before advising their client to proceed. Enquiries are the primary mechanism for doing this. They are raised after the buyer's solicitor has reviewed:

• Your draft contract and title documents from HM Land Registry
• Your completed TA6 Property Information Form
• The results of property searches (local authority, environmental, drainage, and others)
• Any additional documents you have provided, such as planning permissions, building regulations certificates, or guarantees

Enquiries are sent in writing from the buyer's solicitor to your solicitor, who then forwards them to you. You provide your answers, your solicitor reviews and sends them back, and the process continues until the buyer's solicitor is satisfied. Only once all enquiries are resolved can the transaction move toward exchange of contracts.

Standard enquiries vs additional enquiries

There are two broad categories of conveyancing enquiries, and it helps to understand the difference:

Standard pre-contract enquiries are a set of routine questions that the buyer's solicitor raises in virtually every transaction. These are largely covered by the information you provide in the TA6 form. The Law Society publishes a standard set of pre-contract enquiries (known as "CON 29" enquiries for the local authority element, and additional standard questions based on the TA6 form content). If your TA6 is thorough and well-documented, many of these standard enquiries will already be answered. For more background on how pre-contract enquiries work, see our guide to pre-contract enquiries explained.

Additional or raised enquiries are specific questions that arise from the buyer's solicitor's own review of your contract pack, title, and search results. These are unique to your property. For example, if your TA6 mentions that you extended the kitchen but you did not attach a building regulations completion certificate, the buyer's solicitor will raise a specific enquiry asking for one.

The most common enquiries sellers receive

While every property is different, certain topics come up again and again. The table below lists the enquiry subjects that solicitors raise most frequently, based on common practice reported by the Law Society and the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.

How enquiries relate to your TA6 form

The TA6 Property Information Form and conveyancing enquiries are closely connected. In many ways, the TA6 is your first opportunity to answer the buyer's solicitor's questions before they are even asked. The 14 sections of the TA6 cover boundaries, disputes, notices, alterations, guarantees, insurance, environmental matters, rights, parking, charges, occupiers, services, utility connections, and transaction information.

When you fill in the TA6 thoroughly — with specific, detailed answers and copies of supporting documents — you pre-empt the majority of standard enquiries. When you leave sections blank, give one-word answers, or fail to attach relevant paperwork, you virtually guarantee that the buyer's solicitor will raise additional questions.

For example, if Section 4 of the TA6 asks about alterations and you write "Extension built in 2018" but do not attach a building regulations completion certificate or state whether planning permission was obtained, the buyer's solicitor will immediately ask for these. If instead you write "Single-storey rear extension completed in June 2018 under permitted development rights; building regulations completion certificate issued by [Council] on [date], reference [number] — copy attached", you have answered the enquiry before it was raised.

This is why platforms like Pine focus on helping sellers complete the TA6 form with detailed, specific answers and supporting documents before a buyer is even found. A thorough TA6 does not just satisfy a legal requirement — it actively reduces the volume of enquiries and speeds up the entire conveyancing process.

How to answer enquiries effectively

The way you respond to enquiries makes a significant difference to how quickly your sale progresses. Here are the principles that experienced conveyancing solicitors recommend:

Be specific and factual

Avoid vague language. Instead of "some work was done to the roof", write "The roof was re-tiled in March 2020 by [Company Name]. Building regulations approval was not required for a like-for-like replacement. A 10-year guarantee was issued — copy attached." The buyer's solicitor is looking for certainty, and specific answers provide it.

Attach supporting documents

Wherever a document exists that supports your answer, attach a copy. This includes building regulations completion certificates, planning permission decision notices, guarantees, warranty documents, FENSA certificates for replacement windows, electrical installation certificates, and any correspondence relating to disputes or notices. Documents carry far more weight than verbal assurances.

Use "Not known" honestly

If you genuinely do not know the answer to an enquiry, say "Not known" and explain why. For instance: "Not known — this work was carried out by a previous owner before our purchase in 2012 and we have no documentation relating to it." This is honest, defensible, and far safer than guessing. Under the Misrepresentation Act 1967, inaccurate answers — even those given carelessly rather than deliberately — can expose you to a claim for damages after completion.

Respond promptly

Treat enquiries as urgent. Every day you sit on unanswered questions is a day added to the conveyancing timeline. The Law Society's Conveyancing Protocol encourages all parties to respond to correspondence within a reasonable timeframe, and most solicitors consider five working days to be the outer limit. If you can reply within two to three working days, you signal to the buyer and their solicitor that you are a motivated, organised seller — which builds confidence and keeps the transaction moving.

What happens if you refuse to answer or answer vaguely

There is no law that compels you to answer every enquiry, but the practical consequences of refusing or being evasive are serious:

• The buyer loses confidence. Unanswered or vague replies make the buyer's solicitor suspect there is something wrong with the property. Their professional duty is to protect their client, so they will either ask more probing questions or advise the buyer to reconsider.
• Additional rounds of enquiries. A one-word answer like "Yes" to a question about building work will inevitably trigger a follow-up asking for details, certificates, and dates. Each round can add one to two weeks.
• The sale may fall through. According to data from Propertymark, around 30% of agreed property sales in England and Wales collapse before exchange. Drawn-out enquiries and buyer frustration are among the leading causes. For a deeper look at collapse risks, see our guide on why house sales fall through.
• The buyer may negotiate the price down. Unresolved enquiries give the buyer leverage to ask for a price reduction, particularly if they relate to costly issues like missing building regulations approval.

The best approach is straightforward honesty. If you do not have a document, say so and explain what you can offer instead (such as indemnity insurance). If a previous owner carried out work and you have no records, state this clearly. Buyers and their solicitors understand that not every answer will be perfect — but they expect transparency.

How many rounds of enquiries should you expect?

In a typical residential transaction in England and Wales, you should expect at least one main round of enquiries, usually containing between 10 and 30 individual questions. Straightforward freehold properties with well-completed TA6 forms may generate only a handful of enquiries. Older properties with a history of alterations, leasehold properties, or those with complex titles may generate significantly more.

After you respond to the first round, the buyer's solicitor may raise a second round of follow-up questions — sometimes called "further enquiries" or "supplementary enquiries". This is normal and does not necessarily mean anything is wrong. They are usually shorter and more focused than the first round.

A third round is less common and often signals one of two things: either your previous answers were not detailed enough, or there is a genuine issue with the property that needs careful investigation. If you find yourself in a third or fourth round, speak to your solicitor about whether a phone call between the two firms might resolve outstanding points more efficiently than continued written correspondence.

Timeline impact of slow enquiry responses

Enquiries sit at the heart of the conveyancing timeline. 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 enquiries the critical path in most transactions.

According to the HomeOwners Alliance, slow responses to solicitor correspondence — including enquiries — are one of the most common reasons conveyancing takes longer than expected. Each round of enquiries typically takes one to two weeks to complete (your solicitor forwards questions to you, you reply, your solicitor sends answers back, the buyer's solicitor reviews). If there are three rounds instead of one, you have added four to six weeks to the timeline.

The lesson is clear: the faster and more thoroughly you answer enquiries, the sooner you reach exchange. For practical steps on accelerating the process, see our guide on how to speed up conveyancing as a seller.

When indemnity insurance can resolve an enquiry

Not every enquiry requires you to produce a document or fix a problem. In certain situations, indemnity insurance offers a practical solution. This is a one-off insurance policy, typically costing between £20 and £200, that protects the buyer (and their mortgage lender) against the financial risk of a specific issue.

Common situations where indemnity insurance is accepted include:

• Missing building regulations completion certificate — where the work was done more than 12 months ago and no enforcement action has been taken. This is one of the most frequent uses of indemnity insurance. For more detail, see our guide on what to do if you have no building regulations certificate.
• Lack of planning permission for minor work — where the work would likely have been permitted under permitted development rights but no formal confirmation was obtained.
• Chancel repair liability — where the property may be in a parish where chancel repair liability exists.
• Minor restrictive covenant breaches — where a covenant has been breached (for example, by building an extension) but no one has complained and the breach is long-standing.

It is important to note that indemnity insurance does not fix the underlying problem. It simply provides financial protection if the issue ever causes a loss. The buyer's solicitor and their mortgage lender must both agree to accept the policy. Your solicitor will usually arrange the policy and the cost is normally borne by the seller, though this can be negotiated.

One critical point: if you contact the local authority about the missing certificate or breach 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 is designed to protect against. Always speak to your solicitor before contacting the council.

Common enquiry topics in detail

Building regulations and alterations

This is consistently the most common source of enquiries. Under the Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations 2010, most building work in England and Wales requires building regulations approval — regardless of whether planning permission is also needed. This includes extensions, loft conversions, structural alterations, replacement windows, rewiring, new boilers, and changes to drainage.

If you carried out work and obtained a completion certificate, attach a copy. If you carried out work and did not obtain one, be upfront about this and discuss with your solicitor whether retrospective regularisation (applying to the local authority for approval after the event) or indemnity insurance is the better route. According to Gov.uk, local authorities can take enforcement action for unauthorised building work, though in practice this is rare for work completed more than 12 months ago.

Boundaries

Boundary enquiries arise when the buyer's solicitor finds a discrepancy between what you have described in the TA6 boundaries section and what appears on the HM Land Registry title plan, or where boundary ownership is unclear. The Land Registry title plan shows the general position of boundaries but does not guarantee their exact location — this is stated on the plan itself.

To answer boundary enquiries effectively, refer to your title deeds, any "T" marks on the title plan (which indicate maintenance responsibility), and your own knowledge of who has maintained each boundary during your ownership. If there has been any boundary disagreement with neighbours, even if resolved, disclose it.

Planning permission

If you have made alterations or additions to the property, the buyer's solicitor will want to confirm that the necessary planning consent was obtained. Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, development without planning permission (where it is required) is unlawful. However, many types of domestic work fall under permitted development rights, meaning planning permission is not needed provided certain conditions and limits are met. Gov.uk provides detailed guidance on what constitutes permitted development.

If work was done under permitted development rights, state this explicitly in your response. If you obtained a lawful development certificate from the local authority confirming the work was permitted, this is the strongest evidence you can provide.

Neighbour disputes

Section 2 of the TA6 asks about disputes and complaints. If you disclosed a dispute (whether ongoing or resolved), expect follow-up enquiries asking for details: what the dispute was about, when it started, how it was resolved, and whether there is any ongoing risk. The buyer's solicitor needs to assess whether the dispute could affect the buyer's quiet enjoyment of the property.

If you failed to disclose a dispute on the TA6 and the buyer discovers it later — through conversation with neighbours, for example — you could face a claim for misrepresentation under the Misrepresentation Act 1967 or the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Full disclosure on the TA6, covered in detail in our guide to what to disclose when selling, is always the safest approach.

Japanese knotweed

Japanese knotweed is a specific concern because of its potential to cause structural damage and its impact on mortgage lending. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) publishes guidance on knotweed and residential property, categorising infestations by proximity and severity. Most mortgage lenders will not lend on a property with knotweed unless a professional management plan with an insurance-backed guarantee is in place.

If knotweed is present on or near your property, you should disclose this on the TA6 and provide a copy of any treatment plan and guarantee. Attempting to conceal knotweed is both unwise and potentially unlawful — there have been successful misrepresentation claims where sellers failed to disclose it.

Preparing for enquiries before they arrive

The most effective way to handle conveyancing enquiries is to prepare for them before your property goes on the market. Our conveyancing checklist for sellers covers the full list, but the key actions are:

1. Complete your TA6 form thoroughly. Answer every question in detail, attach supporting documents, and use "Not known" with an explanation rather than leaving blanks.
2. Gather all building work documentation. Collect planning permission decision notices, building regulations completion certificates, FENSA certificates, electrical installation certificates, gas safety records, and guarantees.
3. Download your title register and title plan. These are available from HM Land Registry for £3 each at gov.uk/search-property-information-service. Review them for any restrictions, charges, or boundary issues that might prompt enquiries.
4. Address known issues in advance. If you know a building regulations certificate is missing, discuss indemnity insurance or regularisation with your solicitor before a buyer is found.
5. Consider ordering property searches upfront. If the buyer's solicitor already has search results, they can raise all their enquiries in a single round rather than waiting for searches to come back and raising a second batch later.

Pine is built 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 — keeping your sale on the fastest possible track toward exchange.

The 20 most common enquiries buyers' solicitors raise

While every transaction is different, the following 20 enquiries appear in the vast majority of residential conveyancing files. If you can anticipate and prepare for each of these, you will be well ahead of most sellers.

1. Boundaries — who owns and maintains each boundary fence, wall, or hedge
2. Disputes — any past or present neighbour disputes, complaints, or anti-social behaviour issues
3. Building work — details of any alterations, extensions, or conversions, including building regulations and planning compliance
4. Guarantees — transferable warranties for damp proofing, timber treatment, roofing, replacement windows, or other specialist work
5. Planning permissions — copies of all planning consents or confirmation that work was carried out under permitted development rights
6. Building regulations certificates — completion certificates for all notifiable work carried out during your ownership
7. Listed building consent — evidence of consent for any work to a listed property, if applicable
8. FENSA/CERTASS certificates — compliance certificates for replacement windows and external doors installed since April 2002
9. Electrical certificates — Part P compliance certificates for notifiable electrical work such as new circuits or consumer unit replacements
10. Gas safety — boiler servicing records, Gas Safe certificates, and evidence of annual maintenance
11. Japanese knotweed — your TA6 declaration on knotweed presence and any professional management plan or insurance-backed guarantee
12. Flooding — history of flooding at the property, any insurance claims made, and flood mitigation measures in place
13. Rights of way — any footpaths, shared access arrangements, or easements benefiting or burdening the property
14. Restrictive covenants — details of any title covenants and confirmation of whether they have been complied with
15. Tree preservation orders — any TPOs affecting trees on or adjacent to the property
16. Party wall — any party wall agreements, notices served, or awards made under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996
17. Drainage — private drainage systems, septic tanks, shared drains, and any adoption agreements
18. Parking — allocated parking spaces, permit arrangements, or shared parking agreements
19. Service charges — for leasehold properties: any arrears, Section 20 notices, major works contributions, and management company details
20. Occupiers — confirmation of whether anyone other than the named sellers lives in the property, including tenants, lodgers, or adult family members

How to prepare for buyer enquiries before you list

One of the most effective ways to keep your sale on track is to prepare your answers and supporting documents before you even list the property. Sellers who do this routinely save two to four weeks on the conveyancing timeline, because the first round of enquiries can be answered almost immediately.

Use the following preparation checklist to get ahead of the most common questions:

• Gather all certificates and guarantees for work done — building regulations completion certificates, FENSA certificates, electrical installation certificates, gas safety records, damp proofing guarantees, and any other warranties
• Check your title register for covenants and restrictions — download your title register and title plan from HM Land Registry and review them for anything that might prompt enquiries, such as restrictive covenants, charges, or noted easements
• Complete TA6 and TA10 forms as soon as you instruct your solicitor — do not wait until a buyer is found; filling these forms out early gives your solicitor time to review and request any missing documents
• Note any known issues honestly — concealing problems backfires; if there is a crack in the render, a history of damp, or a missing certificate, it is better to address it upfront than to have it surface through enquiries
• Photograph any areas of concern for reference — boundaries, damp patches, cracks, or other physical features that may be queried; dated photographs can help your solicitor provide context when responding to enquiries

For a full step-by-step breakdown, see our conveyancing checklist for sellers.

Replies to enquiries: what your solicitor needs from you

Your solicitor cannot answer the buyer's enquiries without your input. Many of the questions relate to your personal knowledge of the property — its history, any work you have carried out, disputes you have been involved in, and documents you hold. Understanding the process and your role in it helps you respond quickly.

The typical process works as follows:

1. The buyer's solicitor sends a list of enquiries to your solicitor — this often runs to 20 to 50 individual questions across standard and additional categories
2. Your solicitor reviews the list and forwards the questions that require your input, often highlighting what documents or details are needed
3. You provide answers, supporting documents, and certificates to your solicitor — the more specific and complete, the better
4. Your solicitor compiles the formal replies, adds any legal commentary, and sends them back to the buyer's solicitor

To keep turnaround times as short as possible:

• Respond within 48 hours — every day of delay adds directly to the conveyancing timeline and risks the buyer losing confidence
• If you do not know an answer, say so honestly — a clear "not known" with an explanation is far better than delaying while you try to find information that may not exist
• Keep a dedicated folder with all property documents — whether physical or digital, having everything in one place means you can respond to requests without rummaging through drawers or old emails
• Ask your solicitor which enquiries they can answer without you — some questions relate to the title or legal formalities that your solicitor can deal with directly, so focus your time on the ones only you can answer

Sources and further reading

• Law Society of England and Wales — Conveyancing Protocol (5th edition), TA6 Property Information Form (4th edition, 2020), and standard pre-contract enquiries (lawsociety.org.uk)
• Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) — Code of Conduct for solicitors and standards of service (sra.org.uk)
• Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) — Regulatory standards and licensed conveyancer register (clc.gov.uk)
• HM Land Registry — Title register and title plan services (gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry)
• Gov.uk — Planning permission guidance and building regulations overview (gov.uk/planning-permission-england-wales)
• HomeOwners Alliance — Research on conveyancing delays and consumer guidance for home sellers (hoa.org.uk)
• RICS — Information Paper: Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property (rics.org)
• Misrepresentation Act 1967 — legislation.gov.uk
• Building Act 1984 and Building Regulations 2010 — legislation.gov.uk
• Town and Country Planning Act 1990 — legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 — legislation.gov.uk

Related guides

• When to Instruct a Solicitor Before Listing
• What Are Undertakings in Conveyancing?
• Conveyancing for Remortgage: What Sellers Need to Know
• How Long Should It Take for Your Solicitor to Respond?
• What Is a Long Stop Date in Conveyancing?
• Can I Do My Own Conveyancing?
• Fixed Fee vs Hourly Rate Conveyancing
• What Is a Panel Solicitor?
• What Is a Retainer in Conveyancing?
• What Is a Client Care Letter in Conveyancing?
• Dual Representation in Conveyancing: When One Solicitor Acts for Both Sides
• When Do You Need Two Solicitors?
• Enquiries About Rights of Way and Easements
• Enquiries About Boiler and Heating Systems

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