Conveyancing process has been slow

JLammy

How often should I be checking the progress of the whole conveyancing process with my solicitor?

They have unfortunately been extremely slow, especially with responding to my questions (such as whether they're ok to proceed with the anti-money laundering searches, and when they'd like the payment for the various other searches)

How long do these searches normally take? I have a deadline which I need to exchange contracts by, and that date is only 3.5 weeks away!

jamesperrett

The fastest conveyancing process that I know of took about 6 weeks from offer to completion. Our longest conveyance took nearly 6 months - although most of the delays were down to planning problems as some unauthorised work had been done in a conservation area and the property was the subject of an enforcement notice.

In my experience residential conveyancing solicitors are often slower than their commercial property colleagues. I would guess that they have a much larger caseload to handle so they only review each case at infrequent intervals.

PixelPound

Call them regularly. Many conveyancers will have several accounts they are dealing with, and its easy for yours to drop down the todo list. Be polite but if you are regularly asking for updates they are more likely to action yours that work on someone else's.

JLammy

How often would 'regularly' be? Every 2-3 days?

Just worried I'd end up driving them nuts instead!

datlex

JLammy wrote: »

How often should I be checking the progress of the whole conveyancing process with my solicitor?

They have unfortunately been extremely slow, especially with responding to my questions (such as whether they're ok to proceed with the anti-money laundering searches, and when they'd like the payment for the various other searches) I paid for my searches when I returned the paper work to the solictor engaging their services at the same time as provided my proof of deposit

How long do these searches normally take? I have a deadline which I need to exchange contracts by, and that date is only 3.5 weeks away!they can take a month depending on the council.

Why do you have a deadline at this stage? Have you told your solicitor or the estate agent? Sometimes letting the estate agent know can help as they can get in touch with the seller, who may be accomodating.

Tiglet2

Agree with datlex, starting the process is often delayed because clients don't send back signed and completed forms immediately, don't pay any money upfront for the solicitor to order searches/obtain title deeds etc or don't provide the ID documents or get them correctly done. Asking whether they're ok to proceed with anti-money laundering services is kind of pointless since this is part of their job anyway and would form part of the process. Since I assume your conveyancer knows what he is doing, he doesn't need to be reminded to ask you if he can do them!

Searches (particularly the Local Search) can take 4 weeks to come back. Does the conveyancer know of your deadline? Do they think it is achievable? It may be too early to predict how long the process will be.

Margot123

Make them fully aware of your deadline, and the reason for it eg work, education, health etc.

I would say politely requesting an 'update' every 2 weeks is about right. Vary it between emails, calls, visits to their office.

The fact that you have a deadline makes no real difference due to other factors out of the control of your conveyancer.
Sometimes these factors can be as ridiculous as the other party not filling in paperwork in a timely fashion or not proving their ID (as I found out several months into a transaction years ago).

Robin9

JLammy - I see from your other posts that you are a first time buyer. I was there once and expected everything to drop into place just like that and that everyone in the process was just sat there waiting for you to instruct them, provide info, sign forms ..............

You only applied for your mortgage in July and had it granted a few days ago.

Patience - rethink your deadline. November might be more realistic.


When I bought my present house, bought and sold in August - sellers going to rented, buyers in rented - but still took 5 months.

Patience

JLammy

Thanks for the reply everyone. Unfortunately, as it's a new build, I wasn't the one that set the deadline...

The Solicitor was made fully aware of the deadline at the beginning when I instructed them, although they never actually said they acknowledged or responded to my statement about the deadline...

Also, one other question... I am needing to go abroad on a work trip for the next 4 weeks, do I actually need to be physically available from now to exchange of contracts (note: not completion).

Admittedly, as a FTB, this process is all very worrying!

Tiglet2

Developers are fully aware that "their" deadlines come and go. As long as progress is being made it is not usually a problem. You don't have to be physically available, just contactable. They will need your authorisation on the day of exchange, by email or phone call.

Robin9

As its a new build have you been going to site to see what progress is being made ?

Has it got walls, roof, windows, doors ?