Preliminary Enquiries

This is a collective expression which covers all the investigations a prospective buyer’s conveyancer may decide to make prior to approving a contract for the purchase of a property. Some are routine, for example, the Law Society publishes a standard form of pre-contract enquiries in most cases requiring merely tick-box answers. Many solicitors will supply a copy of these, effectively pre-ticked, along with a draft contract. Other conveyancers, possibly as a delaying measure, will raise a series of obscure points and pursue them as long as necessary to secure the client’s real objective.

Other requisitions covered by the term include local searches, highway matters, and planning issues.