How Long Does Conveyancing Take?

Offer accepted. Now comes the question everyone asks: when can we move?

For a straightforward transaction in England and Wales, Burtons’ published guidance allows around 10–12 weeks for freehold and 12–16 weeks for leasehold, measured from the seller’s contract being issued to moving day. Are we being overly cautious with that estimate? In truth, some transactions will complete in as little as half of that time, but it’s almost impossible to estimate accurately until the transaction is under way.

A chain-free purchase can be quick. A long chain, missing paperwork or a legal complication can add weeks. The trick is to understand what needs to happen, rather than circle a date and hope. Want a clearer idea of your own timetable?

Our conveyancing team can talk you through what’s likely to affect it.

What’s happening while you’re waiting?

Conveyancing is the legal work behind your move. Several jobs run alongside one another:

• Getting started. Both sides instruct their conveyancers and complete the initial forms and checks. The seller’s conveyancer prepares the contract package; the buyer supplies identity and funding evidence. A lot of time can be lost in this initial stage, where the conveyancer is required by law to complete stringent identity and financial checks on their clients. If your funding or ownership structures are complicated, you can reasonably expect to have to provide additional evidence.
• Checking the property. The buyer’s conveyancer examines the title and contract, orders searches and raises enquiries. Meanwhile, the buyer progresses their mortgage application and survey.
• Getting ready to commit. Significant legal issues may need to be resolved, funding arrangements confirmed and a completion date agreed with everyone involved in the chain.
• Exchange, then completion. Exchange normally makes the deal legally binding in England and Wales. On completion, the purchase money is transferred and the buyer usually gets the keys.

Those final two steps can happen on the same day, but usually there is a gap of a week or more. Until exchange, a proposed moving date is just that: proposed.

Why does it sometimes feel as though nothing is happening?

Often, the transaction is waiting for one missing piece: a search result, a mortgage offer, an answer about an alteration or another buyer further down the chain.

Leasehold adds more moving parts. The lease, service charges, insurance, ground rent and planned works all need checking. Information from a freeholder or managing agent can become the sticking point, even when buyer and seller are responding quickly.

A no-chain purchase removes one major dependency, but the legal checks still have to be done. Paying cash removes the mortgage application, not the need to understand what you’re buying.

Searches back? Good news, but not the finish line

Search results still need to be reviewed. They may raise fresh questions, and other matters such as funding, legal enquiries or delaying factors elsewhere in the chain may remain outstanding.

A better question than "Are the searches back?" is: "Are they satisfactory, and what still needs to happen before exchange?"

Six things that can keep your move moving

You can’t make every organisation work faster. You can avoid leaving the transaction waiting for you.

If you’re buying:

• Instruct your conveyancer early and return identity and source-of-funds documents promptly. Mention a gifted deposit or other unusual funding arrangements at the outset.
• Get your mortgage application and survey under way rather than waiting for the legal work to finish.
• Flag genuine deadlines early, such as a mortgage-offer expiry, rather than when they are days away.

If you’re selling:

• Complete property forms fully and gather planning documents, building-regulation approvals and guarantees before they are requested.
• For leasehold property, ask about ordering the management pack early.
• Answer enquiries promptly. If a document is missing, say so: your conveyancer can explain what happens next.

Ask for a clear update, not a crystal ball

A useful progress report answers three questions: what is outstanding, who are we waiting for, and is anything needed from me? If something has stalled, ask what is being done to move it forward.

A changed estimate is not automatically a warning sign. An unexplained delay deserves a clearer answer than "It’s ongoing."

One final distinction: HM Land Registry registration follows completion and can take considerably longer. That does not normally mean waiting to move in: the keys and the registration timetable are different things.

‍

Make your next move with a realistic plan

Burtons Solicitors helps buyers and sellers with freehold and leasehold transactions across Kent, London and Sussex. Speak to our conveyancing team early for advice on the process, likely costs and what could affect your timetable: get a quote online, email info@burtons-solicitors.com or call your nearest office.

‍

Frequently asked questions

Can conveyancing be done in four weeks?

It is possible, but it is not typical. A four-week transaction normally needs to be unusually straightforward, often with no chain, no unexpected title issues and all parties ready to move quickly. Mortgage processing, searches and enquiries can easily make the process longer.

Is conveyancing quicker if you are a cash buyer?

It can be. A cash buyer does not need to wait for a mortgage offer or satisfy a mortgage lender's conveyancing requirements. Searches, title checks and enquiries are still advisable, however, so being a cash buyer does not remove the legal process.

How long does a house sale take in the UK?

The whole process normally takes longer than the conveyancing stage alone. GOV.UK currently says selling a home takes about five months on average. Rightmove's July 2026 data put the Great Britain average at 216 days from listing to completion, including about 62 days to find a buyer and 154 days from sale agreed to completion.

Why is my solicitor waiting for enquiries?

Enquiries allow the buyer's solicitor to investigate issues arising from the title, contract, searches and other property paperwork. Some can be answered by the seller, while others require information from third parties such as freeholders or managing agents. Exchange may need to wait until significant enquiries are resolved.

What is the difference between exchange and completion?

Exchange of contracts makes the transaction legally binding in England and Wales. Completion is when the purchase money is transferred, ownership changes and the buyer normally receives the keys. The two stages can take place on the same day, although there is often a period between them.

Does having no chain guarantee a quick completion?

No. Removing the chain removes one significant source of delays, but searches, mortgages, legal enquiries, survey issues and leasehold paperwork can still affect the timetable. A no-chain property can therefore still take several months if other complications arise.