Buying a leasehold flat has been the single worst experience of my life

somerandomusername

I started this process in May 2025 when I had an offer accepted on my first flat I tried to buy. After 5 months of forms, waiting for packs and information, enquires, weeks of back and fourth with very little progress being made, I dropped the purchase. All because the seller didn't want to pay his own fee of a deed of variation. He wanted me to pay it or he would cancel the sale. 

Then I had another offer accepted in October on another flat, again I had to submit all the documents, forms etc and now the enquires have started, 9 to be exact. After nearly 2 weeks, the 9 questions came back and only 3 satisfied my solicitor, so she's sent them back asking for more information / clarification. 

And what makes this worse is the seller has gone on holiday for 3 months. Apparently he has signed everything and collated all the docs in advance and given them to his solicitor and I've been assured if need be the seller is easily contactable while on holiday. 

I have this dark feeling that this isn't going to go through before he gets back, I can just sense it in my bones. I have a feeling the seller is not going to want to be replying to emails and dealing with management company while on holiday. 

I swear to god I cannot believe the process of buying a leasehold is this archaic, we're in 2026 for Christ sake why isn't all this information online for the seller to just access? 

If this one falls through as well I will just rent for another 10 years and save up to buy a freehold house because I am never going through this crap ever again. I never imagined that buying a flat would involve so much legal crap.

It's insanity that it takes so long to buy a leasehold. To put this into perspective, In town within 4 months I've seen on old clothing store close down, exchange hands and reopened as a laser eye clinic. So they can do all that faster than I can buy a flat... So pathetic. It should take no more than a month to buy a flat realistically, and 2 weeks for a freehold.

RedFraggle

You would no way get searches, mortgage etc. done in 2 weeks or 4.
It's not the fact it's a leasehold per se, your expectations are unrealistic in afraid. 
My current leasehold flat purchase took 8 weeks with no chain. My last freehold house sale, again no chain, 3 months.
It all depends on the queries and efficiency of all parties which is often sadly lacking.
Your retail comparison is nowhere near the same process. 

somerandomusername

RedFraggle said:

You would no way get searches, mortgage etc. done in 2 weeks or 4.
It's not the fact it's a leasehold per se, your expectations are unrealistic in afraid. 
My current leasehold flat purchase took 8 weeks with no chain. My last freehold house sale, again no chain, 3 months.
It all depends on the queries and efficiency of all parties which is often sadly lacking.
Your retail comparison is nowhere near the same process. 

But if should only take a month considering we're in 2026. My solicitor should just be able to "login to council website" and pull all the searches herself, read them and sign them off in 1 day. Why are we sending requests and waiting 3 weeks for searches... It's archaic.

And when my solicitor requests the management pack, why can't the company just literally reply to the request and send the entire pack over in the email the same day? Why is it taking them a month to send it out? Do they have to go down into the basement and look through hundreds of old filing cabinets and collect the relics from when the property was last built or something?

We've had the internet for a long time now, perhaps the councils, management companies and other third parties should try using it.

Myci85

House buying is frustrating, but tbh even freehold purchases can easily take 6+ months, so a leasehold not going through for another 3 months is probably to be expected. I think as hard as it is, you'd be better to assume it will take longer than the vendor's holiday to go through, and anything less would be a pleasant surprise. Otherwise you're highly likely just setting yourself up for more frustration.

RelievedSheff

You need to be more patient I'm afraid.

monkey-fingers

Our last freehold house took 5 months.

That's just the way it was. Once you get used to the time frames, you just get on with your life.

QrizB

My parents' house sale (they weren't even buying) took 15 months.

somerandomusername said:

 I never imagined that buying a flat would involve so much legal crap.

Buying a home is often in the lists of "top five most stressful life events" along with things like divorce, job loss and death of a loved one.

It's a good job most people only do it every decade or so.

Sam_666

Leashold is part of good old Feudal system that England & Wales still use. 
How can you expect that to be as good/efficent as 21st century products?
Gues how many other countries in world use it.

somerandomusername

I just think the entire house buying process needs a complete overhaul and modernisation.

ExEstateAgent

You can buy / sell a leasehold within a day. Just means paying cash and not worrying about the various checks/surveys. 

somerandomusername

ExEstateAgent said:

You can buy / sell a leasehold within a day. Just means paying cash and not worrying about the various checks/surveys. 

I understand why the checks are important for me, that's what I'm paying for after all, but it's just infuriating that it all takes so long.