Quick take: Conveyancing in England and Wales typically takes 8 to 14 weeks from instruction to completion, though delays are common. Understanding each stage helps you prepare for what is ahead and identify potential hold-ups early.

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1. Instructing a Conveyancer

Once your offer is accepted, you instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer. Costs vary significantly:

• High-street solicitors: typically 800 to 2,000 pounds plus VAT

• Online conveyancing services: may charge less but may offer less personal contact

• Disbursements (third-party costs): local authority searches, environmental searches, land registry fees, bank transfer fees -- typically 200 to 500 pounds on top

2. Searches and Enquiries

Your conveyancer orders searches from the local authority, environmental data providers, and water companies. They also raise enquiries with the seller's solicitor.

Local authority searches remain the most common source of delays. Some councils return results within days; others take four to six weeks. Your conveyancer can usually tell you the typical turnaround time for the relevant council.

3. Reviewing the Title and Contract

Your conveyancer reviews the title register, title plan, and draft contract for restrictive covenants, easements, boundary issues, and anything that might affect your mortgage.

If issues are found, your conveyancer may suggest indemnity insurance. For example, if a conservatory was built without building regulations approval 15 years ago, an indemnity policy (typically 50 to 200 pounds) may be sufficient. However, if you later apply to the local authority for other works, that policy may be invalidated. Worth discussing with your conveyancer.

4. Mortgage Offer

Your lender instructs a valuation of the property. This is a brief assessment of whether the property is suitable security for the loan. It is not a detailed survey. It can identify obvious issues (subsidence, Japanese knotweed) but it is not a substitute for a proper homebuyer's report or building survey.

Mortgage offers typically have a validity period of three to six months. If your conveyancing takes longer, you may need to request an extension.

5. Exchange and Completion

Exchange of contracts is when the purchase becomes legally binding. You pay your deposit (usually 10%) and agree a completion date. Completion is the day you receive the keys.

Where Delays Happen

• Slow local authority searches: Some councils take weeks. Ask your conveyancer about expected timescales upfront

• Property chains: If the seller is also buying, your transaction depends on theirs. Chain collapses remain a leading cause of failed transactions

• Mortgage conditions: Lenders sometimes impose conditions (such as a specialist report) that take time to satisfy

• Leasehold management information: Getting information from managing agents about service charges and insurance can take several weeks

FAQ

Can I speed up the process?

Get your mortgage agreement in principle before making an offer. Have a conveyancer ready to instruct immediately. Respond to information requests from your conveyancer promptly. These steps can shave weeks off the process.

What if the chain collapses?

If someone in the chain pulls out before exchange, you are not legally committed and will not lose money (though you will have spent money on searches and legal fees). After exchange, pulling out comes with financial penalties.

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice.