How long does conveyancing take? Timescales and how to keep things moving

The short answer

A straightforward freehold purchase or sale (where you own the building and land outright) commonly takes 10 to 16 weeks from instruction (formally appointing your conveyancer) to completion (the day the money is paid and the keys are handed over). A leasehold home, which you own for a fixed number of years under a lease, often takes 12 to 20 weeks, because more information is needed from the landlord or managing agent.

A simple purchase with no chain and no mortgage can be quicker, and a long chain or a problem with the title or the mortgage can make it longer. These are typical ranges, not promises: every transaction is different. This guide describes England and Wales, and the steps in Northern Ireland are much the same.

Where the weeks go

Conveyancing is a series of steps, and several of them run side by side, so the whole is shorter than the parts added together. Typical times are:

• Instruction and checks: usually a few days, once you have sent your identity documents and evidence of where your money comes from
• The seller's paperwork: the draft contract, the title documents and the seller's property information forms, which can arrive within a week or two if the seller instructed a conveyancer early
• Searches: drainage and environmental searches often come back within a few days, while local searches can take from a few days to several weeks, depending on the council
• Enquiries: the questions your conveyancer raises about what the paperwork and searches show; replies can take days or weeks
• The mortgage offer: often a few weeks after a full application, longer if the valuation or your income needs a closer look
• Exchange to completion: completion is often set one to four weeks after exchange of contracts (the point the deal becomes legally binding), and sometimes on the same day

The guide to the conveyancing process explains each step in more detail.

What can slow things down

Most delays come from a handful of causes:

• A chain: when sales and purchases depend on each other, everyone in the chain waits for the slowest; see property chains explained
• A leasehold management pack: the information from the landlord or managing agent can take several weeks to arrive
• Searches: a council with a backlog can hold up the local search
• The mortgage: a valuation below the price, or questions about income, can mean more paperwork or a new offer
• Missing paperwork: planning permission or building regulations sign-off for work done to the property, guarantees, or a lost document
• The title: problems such as a missing right of way, a boundary question or unregistered land take time to put right
• Slow replies: from anyone involved, including buyers and sellers themselves

How to keep your move on track

You cannot control every part of a chain, but you can make sure your own part never holds it up:

• Instruct a conveyancer as soon as your offer is accepted, or before your home goes on the market if you are selling
• Have your photo identification and proof of address ready, and gather evidence of where your deposit comes from, including any gift from family
• Get a mortgage agreement in principle before you make an offer, and make your full application as soon as the offer is accepted
• If you are selling, fill in the property information forms early, and find guarantees, certificates and planning documents
• If you are selling a leasehold home, ask for the management pack as soon as you accept an offer
• Reply to your conveyancer's questions promptly, and tell them early if you will be away
• Do not book removals or give notice on a rented home until contracts are exchanged

The guide to understanding a conveyancing quote explains what you are paying for at each stage.

Transactions that follow their own timetable

Some purchases and sales run to a different clock:

• New builds: developers commonly expect exchange within a few weeks of reservation, and completion follows when the home is finished. See buying a new build home.
• Auctions: at a traditional auction, contracts are exchanged when the hammer falls, and completion commonly follows about 20 working days later. See buying at auction.
• Probate sales: a sale by executors cannot complete until the grant of probate has been issued, and the wait for it commonly runs from several weeks to a few months. See selling as an executor.
• Remortgages: there is no exchange of contracts and no chain, and once the new lender has issued its offer a remortgage commonly completes in 4 to 8 weeks. See remortgaging explained.

Next steps

The sooner a conveyancer is instructed, the sooner the paperwork, searches and checks can start. Get an instant conveyancing quote to see your costs in full, and the stamp duty calculator and the moving costs tool can help you plan the money you need and when.