The short answer
A slow move is nearly always waiting on one specific thing: a search, an answer, a mortgage offer, a pack from a managing agent, or someone else in the chain. Ask your conveyancer which stage you're at and who holds the next step. Once you know that, you know who to chase and whether there's anything you can do.
Work out what you're actually waiting for
Most moves take 8 to 12 weeks, and much of that is waiting on other people. If it's been a while since you heard anything, it's fair to ask.
The most useful question isn't "why is this taking so long?" It's two smaller ones:
- Which stage are we at? Waiting for searches, raising enquiries, waiting for a mortgage offer, or getting ready to exchange.
- Who has the next step? You, your conveyancer, the other side's conveyancer, your lender, the council, a managing agent, or someone further along the chain.
The answer tells you a lot. If the next step is yours, you can fix it today. If it's with a council or a lender, chasing helps a little but there's a limit. If it's someone else in the chain, the estate agent is usually the best person to find out what's going on. Our guide to how long conveyancing takes walks through the normal stages, so you can see where yours fits.
The usual culprits, and what you can do
A slow council search
The local authority search comes from the council, and some councils are much slower than others. Your conveyancer can't make the council go faster. What you can do is pay for searches as soon as you're asked, so they're ordered on day one rather than a fortnight in. Our guide to conveyancing searches explains what they check.
Enquiries going back and forth
Enquiries are the questions the buyer's conveyancer asks the seller's side. Each answer can raise another question, and each round trip takes time. If you're selling, answer quickly and fully, and send any documents asked for straight away. A vague answer usually just comes back as a fresh question. Our guide to conveyancing enquiries covers the ones that come up most.
The mortgage offer or valuation
Your lender has to value the property and issue a formal offer before you can exchange. If it's slow, call your mortgage broker or lender and ask whether they need anything from you. Payslips, bank statements or a missing signature are common hold-ups.
A leasehold management pack
For a leasehold flat or house, the buyer's conveyancer needs information from the freeholder or managing agent about service charges, repairs and the building. If you're selling, order the pack as soon as your conveyancer asks, and pay any fee promptly. Managing agents often won't start until they're paid.
Someone else in the chain
Nobody can exchange until every link in the chain is ready. You can't speed up someone else's move, but you can find out what they're waiting for.
Missing documents
No building regulations sign-off for an extension, no certificate for new windows, or a missing guarantee all lead to extra questions. If you're selling, look for these early. Where a document really can't be found, your conveyancer can talk you through the options, which sometimes include an indemnity insurance policy.
Probate
If the property belonged to someone who has died, the people selling it usually can't exchange until probate has been granted. That timing sits with the probate service, not the conveyancers, so it helps to know early whether probate is involved.
ID and source of funds checks
Conveyancers have to check who you are and where your money comes from before they can go ahead. If you're buying, have bank statements ready, and evidence of any gifted deposit, such as a letter from the person giving it and their own statements. Gaps here are one of the easiest delays to avoid.
When to ask the estate agent to chase the chain
Your conveyancer deals with the conveyancer on the other side of your own sale or purchase, not with people further along. Estate agents know everyone in their part of the chain.
It's worth asking your estate agent to chase when your conveyancer tells you your side is ready and you're waiting on someone else. Ask the agent to find out exactly what the other move is waiting for.
Is it genuinely stuck, or just normal waiting?
Normal waiting looks like this: you know what you're waiting for, someone has it in hand, and things keep moving on, even if slowly.
Signs a move might be properly stuck:
- Nobody can tell you what the hold-up is.
- The same question has gone unanswered for a long time, despite chasing.
- Someone in the chain has stopped responding to their agent or conveyancer.
- A buyer's mortgage has been declined, or their own sale has fallen through.
- The seller keeps putting off agreeing a date without a clear reason.
If that sounds familiar, talk to your conveyancer and your estate agent together about what happens next. Sometimes the answer is to wait a bit longer. Sometimes it's time to look at other options, which our guide to what happens when a chain breaks goes through.
Common questions
Why has my conveyancer gone quiet?
Usually because they're waiting on someone else, such as the council, the other side or a lender. Ask which stage you're at and who has the next step.
Can I chase the council myself?
The search is ordered by your conveyancer, so the council will normally deal with them. It's better to ask your conveyancer for an update than to contact the council directly.
Who is holding up my house sale?
Your conveyancer can tell you whether your side is ready. If it is, ask your estate agent to find out which other move in the chain is waiting, and on what.
Is it normal for conveyancing to take longer than 12 weeks?
It happens, especially with leasehold properties, long chains, probate or a slow council. Longer doesn't mean something has gone wrong, as long as you know what you're waiting for.
How we help
You get a named conveyancer from day one, and updates on WhatsApp as things move, so you always know what you're waiting for and who has it. If something stalls, we'll tell you what it is and what we're doing about it. If your sale or purchase falls through and it's not your fault, we give you a second chance, even if you're buying a different property second time round.
