Conveyancing process- taking ages!

[Deleted User]

Selling ours - buyer is a cash buyer, seller of house we're buying is moving out whenever so no chain at all.

I've read that the average is 12 weeks but can be more if there are chain issues. 

Its been 9 weeks now and they tell me its 40% through the process. Nothing seems to have happened for at least a month now.

Should I be concerned?

loubel

Have you asked them what is outstanding?

Tiglet2

It can easily take 9 weeks just to get all the forms and paperwork sent out, filled in and initial contact with the other solicitor made, particularly if someone hasn't done their bit within a day or two.

Solicitors will normally state that a transaction doesn't start until the buyer's solicitor has received the draft contract pack - they don't 'count' any time taken before that, so does your 9 weeks start from receipt of draft contracts by the buyer's solicitor, or from when the buyer made an offer?

[Deleted User]

9 weeks total. Ah is it really an average of 12 weeks from receipt of draft? jeez

Tiglet2

[Deleted User] said:

9 weeks total. Ah is it really an average of 12 weeks from receipt of draft? jeez

Yes, because the solicitor is doing all the legal work of transferring the title from one party to another and no legal work can start until draft contracts are received.  Up until then, only 'pre-contract' work can be done, i.e. ID, form filling and AML checks.

Mr.Generous

Every time I've purchased it's taken about 5 months minimum. Solicitors primary role in the process is to delay matters sufficiently to justify the bill.

user1977

Tiglet2 said:

[Deleted User] said:

9 weeks total. Ah is it really an average of 12 weeks from receipt of draft? jeez

no legal work can start until draft contracts are received. 

Well they could be getting on with the legal work rather than sit on their hands, but it does seem to be normal policy not to.

EssexHebridean

Mr.Generous said:

Every time I've purchased it's taken about 5 months minimum. Solicitors primary role in the process is to delay matters sufficiently to justify the bill.

A rough legal services bill for selling a £500k house will be in the region of £1100 plus disbursements. That takes account of all support services too, and carries a huge responsibility as well. A solicitor will have usually done a three year degree course, plus a training period in a firm subsequently prior to being able to take on an unsupervised caseload. 

Could someone just remind me what sort of fees the average estate agent might command for that same property sale, in spite of having had to undergo precisely no formal training to fulfill their role? Funny how rarely people moan about their costs, though! 

user1977 said:

Tiglet2 said:

[Deleted User] said:

9 weeks total. Ah is it really an average of 12 weeks from receipt of draft? jeez

no legal work can start until draft contracts are received. 

Well they could be getting on with the legal work rather than sit on their hands, but it does seem to be normal policy not to.

Slightly mystified as to what can be done before having sight of the contract pack, to be honest… allowing that until that turns up, clients are generally not advised to proceed with searches or that sort of thing due to the risk of wasting money if it then turns out there are issues to do with the title that might mean they are advised to proceed anyway. 

OP - we usually suggest that the 12 weeks is a minimum to expect for a freehold matter, with a leasehold matter being more like 16 weeks minimum. Either can be swifter if the chain is short and everyone is in accord on dates etc, and a Leasehold transaction can also streamline down a bit with a very on-the-ball freeholder and Management Co on board.  I’m afraid you can probably realistically add a couple of weeks on to that for the Christmas period too - sorry! 

user1977

No wonder the process takes months if everything is done in series rather than in parallel.

Hoenir

[Deleted User] said:

seller of house we're buying is moving out whenever so no chain at all.

Unless it's a tent. It's moving out to somewhere. The time of which might be being dictated .  

dinosaur66

i have used single man conveyencers/solicitors  multi 10 plus slick solicitors /conveyencers /posh offices/ rough dives/ used a specialist firm of 20/30 conveyencers in basildon once who only do conveyencing in an industrial estate thinking that must be quicker /

everyone of them was slow and laborious process taking 12 to 16 weeks

bought property in scotland /estate agent downstairs/conveyencer upstairs / they ring you /message/ text you every couple of days / have zoom calls if i am in essex or call me in if i am in scotland you in to sign paperwork /and then tell you everything is done and checked and ready to complete and 4 weeks after your offer  you have the keys / last one i bought total conveyencing cost was £850 from memory for a modern house and compare that to  london /essex conveyencers

set fees in scotland related to the purchase price with all the searches part of the package and you get a free complete home report /survey as well.