Why do solicitors take so long to exchange contracts?

Solicitors take so long to get to exchange for the following reasons: Overworked. Some solicitors have a case load of 150 active clients, so will be unable to action reviewing your file as they are backed up with files to review and have lots of clients calling them for updates. It is a vicious circle. Delay Raising Enquiries. Some solicitors wait until searches come in to raise enquiries. This means that some of the enquiries that could have been answered by the seller/seller's solicitor only get asked once searches are back. Seller Delays Replying Enquiries. The seller may not have an answer to the enquiry or they are choosing to delay answering it. This can be frustrating for a buyer and the buyer should ask their solicitor for copies of the enquiries so they know what information they are waiting for. To avoid this happening at SAM Conveyancing we have set timeframes for actions to be completed, so our clients know when something is going to get done. Plus we have regular chasing emails to push the seller and the agent to speed up the conveyancing process. Read our Service Pledge with Timescales.

What happens if it takes 6 months to exchange contracts?

Under the Lenders' Handbook section 5.4.3 All searches except where there is a priority period must not be more than six months old at completion. This means that if your searches are 6 months old on completion, then you'll need to buy new searches, or if the lender will agree to it, take out local search indemnity insurance. You can see if your lender allows indemnity insurance in the Lenders' Handbook section 5.4.6 Does the lender accept search insurance and, if yes, what are the lender's specific requirements?

We can expedite searches so they come back quicker, which means you can get to exchange of contracts faster.

Some of our searches are back within hours of ordering and our costs are competitive.

How long after searches to exchange?

by:

Andrew Boast

Created on:

06/07/2023

(Last Updated: 12/02/2024)

Read by:

6,884

5 min read

Once property searches are back, the average time to exchange from that point is 3 weeks. The challenge with this time-frame is that solicitors work in different ways, which means you could face a longer gap between when searches come back and when you are ready to exchange contracts.

You can speed up your contract exchange by following some of the tips and guidance below, including "how often should I chase my solicitor?", "what work is completed after searches come in?" and "what happens after searches are complete when buying a house?". Read more - What can hold up exchange of contracts?

What will cause delays between searches and exchange?

If your solicitor doesn't raise enquiries until they are in receipt of all of the searches and your mortgage offer;
If your solicitor doesn't order your property searches until you get a mortgage offer; or
If you chase your solicitor too often. Even very good solicitors need to take time to review the searches and raise further enquiries.

How long are local searches taking at the moment?

What conveyancing searches do you need in order to exchange?

Not all conveyancing searches are mandatory, however you are advised to get them to be informed about the property you are buying. The mandatory ones are set by your mortgage lender, so if you aren't getting a mortgage then you can take the risk and exchange without searches.

Search	Mandatory or Not Mandatory	How long?
Local Authority Search	This is a mandatory search if you are getting a mortgage. You can see the lender requirements by checking the Lenders' Handbook - Part 2 - Sections 5.4 Searches and Reports and 5.5 Planning and Building Regulations. Read more - What is a local authority search?	Council times range from 2 to 60 working days.
Water & Drainage Search	This is a mandatory search if you are getting a mortgage. Read more - What is a Water and Drainage Search?	Times range from 5 to 20 working days.
Environmental Search	This could be a mandatory search if you are getting a mortgage. You can see the lender requirements by checking the Lenders' Handbook - Part 2 - Section 5.4.4 Does the lender want to receive environmental or contaminated land reports? Read more - What is an Environmental Search?	1 working day but normally less than 1 hour.
ChancelSearch Check	This is not a mandatory search if you are getting a mortgage. Read more - What is a Chancel Search?	1 working day but normally less than 1 hour.
Climate Search	This is not a mandatory search if you are getting a mortgage. Read more - What is a Climate Report?	1 working day but normally less than 1 hour.
Coal Mining Search	This is a mandatory search if you are getting a mortgage. Read more - What is a Coal Mining Search?	1 working day but normally less than 1 hour.

You can check your specific lender's requirement here - UK Finance Mortgage Lenders' Handbook for Conveyancers. Scroll to the bottom and choose your lender, England & Wales and search Parts 1 and 2.

What work is completed after searches come in?

Once the conveyancing searches arrive back from the search provider, your solicitor will review:

Planning and Building Regulation entries.
If the property will be subject to any enforceable restrictions, for example under an agreement (such as an agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) or in a planning permission, which, at the time of completion, might reasonably be expected materially to affect its value or its future marketability.
Review contaminated land entries.
Review where your water and drainage comes into the property.
(if leasehold) The Leasehold Management Pack often delays the exchange of contract because the turnaround time for this information is 3 to 7 weeks and it is the seller who obtains this information, not the buyer.

How long do searches take when buying a house?

The timescales for a house or a flat are the same as they are set by the council and water companies. The local authority search takes the longest to come back.

How can I speed up my contract exchange?

You can speed up your contract exchange by:

Ordering searches on instruction, or once the full draft contract pack is received by the seller.
Obtaining a mortgage offer as soon as possible.
Work with a solicitor with good reviews and who offers good communication.

Order Your Searches

Commons Registration

Drainage and Water

Highway Search

Planning Report

Local Authority

Energy & Infrastructure

Climate Risk Report

Conveyancing Searches Example: Climate Report

Environmental Appraisal

Environmental Report

Flood Appraisal

Flood Risk

Coal Mining

Subsidence

Chancel

Radon

Chancel Search

Drainage&Water

Climate Risk Report

Environmental Report

Regulated Local Authority

£295 INC VAT

Frequently Asked Questions

WHY

6MONTHS

Written by: Andrew Boast

Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.

Reviewed by: Caragh Bailey

Caragh is an excellent writer in her own right as well as an accomplished copy editor for both fiction and non-fiction books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey and mortgage related articles.