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Stage 6 of Buying a House | Contract Enquiries Raised

Understanding contract enquiries when buying property: We'll ask about gas safety, restrictive covenants, services, and anything else you need to know. Expect our report soon!

January 11, 2023

Stage 6 of Buying a House | Contract Enquiries Raised

What Are Contract Enquiries?

Enquiries are questions that we submit to the seller's solicitor about the Draft Contract Pack. We will raise enquiries on:

  • Boiler/Gas safety and servicing of the property
  • Restrictive covenants
  • Gas, water, and electricity servicing
  • Anything included in the purchase of the property
  • In the case of a leasehold property, or a Freehold with a management agency, the management pack

WhY DO CONTRACT ENQUIRIES NEED TO BE RAISED?

We want to make sure that the property you are purchasing, is everything you think it is and make sure that you’re aware of any restrictions or things that could become a problem later down the line in your ownership of the property.This is also an opportunity for you to raise any questions to the seller via your solicitor such as whether the property has been burgled, if there are any disputes with the neighbours, or any information about the property that they’ve picked up from their time as residents of the property.

HOW LONG WILL ENQUIRIES TAKE?

On average, we expect to hear back from the seller’s solicitor within 10-15 working days depending on how many enquiries we have, and their complexity.

What HAPPENS WHEN WE RECEIVE THE RESPONSES?

Once we receive the responses from the seller’s solicitor, your Legal Team will review them and report back to you. If necessary, we will raise another round of enquiries. If we are satisfied with the responses from the seller’s solicitor, we will close our enquiries and proceed to review your title, search and mortgage documents and report back to you on these.

WhO SHOULD I TALK TO ABOUT THE SERVICES AT THE PROPERTY?

We recommend that prior to exchange of contracts, that you arrange via the Estate Agent, any concerns in relation to any of the services at the property that need servicing. Please be aware that there is no legal requirement for the current owners of the property to have the services checked prior to completion.Once the initial enquiries have been raised you will have the Contract Pack, Search and Mortgage Reports sent to you. It is important to note that these reports can be sent in any order and not together.

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