If you are thinking of moving house, you probably want to know how long the whole process is likely to take. There are many factors which can affect the timescale and a wide potential timeframe. We look at what can affect the moving schedule, how you may be able to speed up the process and answer the question, How long does it take to sell and buy a house?

At Locking Solicitors, we have an experienced conveyancing team that has been representing families, individuals and investors in buying and selling property in East Yorkshire and beyond for many years. We have an excellent reputation and strong connections with local estate agents, surveyors and other property professionals in the area.

We always work to move transactions along efficiently. Our expertise means that if your move should encounter difficulties, we know how to handle them and avoid delays. We will keep in close touch with you, updating you on progress and making sure your buyer’s and seller’s solicitors are also moving matters forward.

Our team has been accredited with the Law Society’s conveyancing Quality Scheme award. This recognises our legal expertise, the strength and clarity of the legal advice we provide and our high service standards.

We offer a FREE initial chat so that you can ask us any questions you may have about conveyancing and selling and buying a house. Call us on 01482 300 200, email us at welcome@lockings.co.uk or fill in our Free Online Enquiry and we will call you back promptly. We have offices in Beverley, Hull and York and represent clients across the East Yorkshire and York area.

How does the house sale and purchase process work?

If you are selling a property, we will start by putting together the contract package for the buyer’s solicitors. This will include the draft contract, a copy of the legal title and official plan of the property, copies of documents referred to in the title, the standard property information form and the fixtures and fittings list.

At the same time, your seller will send us their contract package. We will go through all of the information supplied and return to them with any questions we may have. We will also apply for all of the necessary searches.

At this stage, you will usually arrange for a survey to be carried out and apply for a mortgage. This is the part of the transaction that will take several weeks.

We will need the following before we proceed to the next stage:

• Satisfactory replies to the enquiries we raised with the seller’s solicitors
• Search results
• Mortgage offer

You will also need to make sure that you are happy with the results of your survey.

Once we have the above, we will report to you on the property, drawing your attention to anything you need to be aware of. We will then ask you to sign the contract and mortgage deed. The contract will not be binding until exchange takes place.

When everyone in the chain is ready to proceed, we will liaise with you and your buyer’s and seller’s solicitors to agree on a date for completion. Contracts can then be exchanged, and the completion date will be set.

We will carry out the final checks and order your mortgage advance. We will let you have a complete breakdown of the figures showing the amount, if any, we will need from you in cleared funds prior to completion.

Completion will then take place on the day specified in the contract. We will let you know once your seller’s solicitor confirms they have the balance of the money, and you will be able to liaise with the estate agent to pick up the keys.

How long does it take to buy and sell a house?

The time taken to sell and buy a house can vary widely. If the chain is short, for example, just the parties selling to you and buying from you, then generally speaking, a move will be quicker than when a long chain is involved. This is because the transaction will move at the speed of the slowest party.

As a rough guide, you should expect a move involving both a sale and a purchase to take at least three to four months from when the conveyancing process begins.

What affects the time taken to sell and buy a house?

The following issues can affect how long it takes to sell and buy a house:

Whether anyone needs a mortgage – it is usually the case that at least one party in the chain will need a mortgage, if not everyone. If mortgage lenders are experiencing a high volume of applications, it can take them weeks to process these.

Survey results – if someone has a survey which reveals problems, they will usually want to renegotiate the price. This will involve having workmen visit the property to prepare quotes, followed by a period of negotiation.

Legal problems with the title – if a property has a defective title, solicitors will need to rectify this. Mortgage lenders will not lend until certain legal issues are dealt with, and this can take time to resolve.

Missing documentation – if crucial paperwork is missing, for example, planning permission or building regulations approval, it will be necessary to request copies. Those providing copies, such as local authorities, can be slow to deal with requests.

Being slow to instruct professionals – if someone in the chain is slow to engage a solicitor or surveyor, this can add a couple of weeks to the conveyancing time. Similarly, if they are slow to respond to questions raised by their solicitor, this can also cause delays.

Leasehold property – if one of the properties in the chain is a leasehold property, this can mean a slower transaction. This is because a substantial amount of extra information is needed in relation to the lease and flat management. Third parties such as landlords and managing agents can be slow to put together the information and reply to enquiries.

Delays in completing origin of funds information – if money is being provided by a relative, mortgage lenders will need to make extra checks and gifted deposit documentation will need to be completed. Solicitors may also need buyers to provide evidence of the source of their funds to comply with money laundering regulations.

How can I make selling and buying a house faster?

To have the best chance of avoiding conveyancing delays, we recommend the following:

Instruct a solicitor early on – if you would like us to represent you, speak to us as soon as you decide to sell and buy. We will be able to do the preliminary work to verify your identity and open a file. We will also let you have the property information and fixtures and fittings forms to complete. You may need to find accompanying paperwork, such as guarantees and planning consents. By starting work on this straightaway, we will be able to send out the contract package as soon as you have a buyer in place.

Apply for your mortgage promptly – you can ask your chosen lender to provide you with a mortgage offer in principle before you start house hunting. Then as soon as your offer is accepted, you can complete your full mortgage application.

Reply promptly to enquiries – your buyer’s solicitor is likely to raise enquiries once they have read the contract package. We will work with you to ensure that we reply promptly to them with the answers they need.

Use an experienced conveyancing solicitor – if legal complications arise, an expert property solicitor will have the specialist knowledge to deal with them effectively, avoiding delays. Similarly, a reputable solicitor will keep the pressure on your buyer’s and seller’s solicitors to ensure they are moving the transaction forward. This can make a huge difference and prevent hold-ups that happen simply because someone is not taking any action.

We will also make sure that any additional matters are dealt with promptly, such as acquiring leasehold information, securing evidence of source of funds or obtaining paperwork relating to a gifted deposit.

Contact our East Yorkshire and York area conveyancing solicitors

If you are selling and buying a property and you would like us to represent you, call us today and we will be delighted to help.

You can ring us for a FREE initial chat on 01482 300 200, email us at welcome@lockings.co.uk or fill in our Free Online Enquiry and we will call you back promptly. We have offices in Beverley, Hull and York and represent clients across the East Yorkshire and York area.