Once the buyer's solicitor raises enquiries, it can take 1 to 2 weeks to reply on a freehold or 2 to 4 weeks on a leasehold. If initial pre-contract enquiries prompt further enquiries, the enquiry process may be extended until they are all satisfied.
The seller may be impatient if they hope for a quick sale. Do not allow them to pressure you to rush past the proper due diligence; you could miss a crucial detail that comes back to bite you later.
Once the solicitor has received full replies to enquiries then they will report to the buyer of all their findings. After reading the report on the title, if the buyer decides they are happy to proceed, they need to sign and return the following documents to your solicitor:
Contract;
TR1 transfer document;
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) return; and
Mortgage deed (if applicable)
These documents need signing, and some need witnessing. If you can, scan, email and then post special delivery to your solicitor. If you can’t scan and email then just send special delivery (not recorded).