When buying or selling a house you will need to go through the conveyancing process. Conveyancing is the legal process that transfers the ownership of the property from one person to another. However, not many people know how long the conveyancing process takes. This blog breaks down how long the conveyancing process could take and what could cause delays in the process.
How long does the conveyancing process take?
The conveyancing process usually takes between 12-16 weeks. However, each transaction is different, with a number of factors that could speed up or delay the process, such as:
- Property Chains
- Local Authority Searches
- Mortgage Complications
- Incomplete Paperwork
- Legal and Title Issues
What are the stages of the conveyancing process?
Below is a breakdown of the conveyancing process and an estimated timescale for how long each part takes to complete.
1.- Pre-contract work- around 2 weeks
Once your offer to buy your property is accepted, you will need to appoint a solicitor/conveyancer to work on your behalf to make the transaction ‘legal.’
This will include verifying your identification and obtaining proof of funds, should you be purchasing.
Your solicitor/conveyancer will obtain and review the legal documents (once received from the sellers’ solicitors) to provide you with legal advice on the purchase and arrange for local searches.
Local searches can take up to 10 days to complete, but many local authorities do miss these deadlines, so it could take longer.
While the searches are being ordered, you will need to arrange a survey of the property to get an idea of the condition of the property you are looking to buy. There are a number of surveys you can get; the most common are level 2 and level 3, and these can take up to a month to get back based on how busy the local surveyors are.
2. Mortgage offer- Around 4 weeks
Before you made an offer on the property, you should have a mortgage agreement in principle in place. This means that once your offer on the property has been accepted, your mortgage lender will turn this principle into an official mortgage offer. This takes around a month to happen.
3. Draft contracts- Around 2-10 weeks (often dependent on whether freehold or leasehold)
While the mortgage application is taking place, your solicitor/conveyancer will be working on your draft contract. This requires getting all the necessary information from Land Registry, the seller and the seller’s conveyancer. Also, a management pack will need to be acquired if a Management Company is involved with the property or surrounding area.
Searches and surveys should be received around this time as well and will highlight any issues with the property which could delay draft contracts as negotiations will be made.
All of the aforementioned documents are the basis on which legal enquiries are raised. Whilst this may seem cumbersome, this is a legal requirement which your solicitor/conveyancer must do for both you, as the client, and your lender, whom they also represent.
4. Pre-Exchange of contracts to completion- Around 1-2 weeks
Once the mortgage offer is in place, the pre-contract enquiries have been answered, and the surveys and searches are all complete, your solicitor/conveyancer will then be ready to send your contract documents (and other applicable/relevant documents) to sign. If buying, you will also at this stage need to make payment of your deposit.
5. Exchange of contracts to completion- Around 1-2 weeks
After the receipt of your signed contract documents (and receipt of your deposit if applicable), your solicitor/conveyancer will then be ready to exchange contracts with the sellers’ solicitors and set a completion date.
What are the common causes of delays in conveyancing?
There are a number of things that can cause delays to the conveyancing process. As mentioned above, house surveys revealing problems with the property can cause delays, as negotiations will need to take place on price.
However, the most common delay is dealing with enquiries, such as problems with the property title that need to be rectified, missing information/documentation from the seller, issues with the buyer’s mortgage, the local authority being slow to respond to property search, or a probate sale.
Certain ‘popular’ times of the year can also cause delays due to unexpected peaks such as around holiday periods (e.g. Christmas & New Year, Bank Holidays) or even government incentives around Stamp Duty.
How long does conveyancing take if there is no chain?
If there is no chain, the process could be completed in four to six weeks, but the most common time is 12 weeks.
However, this is less troublesome than if you are in a ‘housing’ chain. A housing chain is when your seller is buying a new property, or the buyer is selling their own home, and this can delay the conveyancing process by a large amount.
This is because if one transaction is delayed due to a problem (as referred to above), this can hold up the whole chain in the conveyancing process. Â The entire chain must be all ready and be able to meet a completion date.
How to avoid delays
There are a number of ways to avoid delays.
Firstly, it is important to instruct your solicitor/conveyancer as soon as possible. It is also important to make sure all parties have up-to-date contact details for you and that they respond to enquiries as soon as possible.
Check in weekly with your solicitor/conveyancer to make sure they are not waiting for anything from you. Whilst it might be very tempting to ‘check in’ daily this often does not speed up the matter and can cause unnecessary stress.
How Davisons Law can help
The conveyancing process can be complicated and at times stressful. At Davisons Law, our team of conveyancing solicitors are on hand to successfully guide you through the process, making everything clear and understandable for you.
Get in touch today on 0808 23923 421, and a member of our team will be on hand to help you get started on your conveyancing journey.
