The honest answer: 8 to 16 weeks for a typical UK conveyancing process in 2026. The average is around 12 weeks. Auctions complete in 28 days and modern method in 56. Here's why the open-market route takes so long and where the time actually goes.
Open-market conveyancing — week by week
Weeks 1–2 — instruction & ID
- Sale agreed; both parties instruct solicitors.
- ID verification (driving licence + utility bill, increasingly digital with Onfido / Yoti).
- Solicitor sends "Letter of Engagement" and "Money Laundering Forms".
- Seller's solicitor requests the TA6/TA10 property information forms — typically takes 5–7 days for the seller to complete.
Weeks 3–4 — searches ordered
- Buyer's solicitor orders searches: Local Authority, Environmental, Water & Drainage, sometimes Chancel.
- Search results back in 1–6 weeks depending on the council (Birmingham averaged 8 days in 2025, Lambeth 47).
- Title pack drafted by seller's solicitor.
Weeks 5–7 — mortgage offer & survey
- Buyer's lender instructs a valuation survey (~1 week to book, 1 week to report).
- Mortgage offer issued — typically valid for 6 months.
- Independent buyer's survey if commissioned (1–2 weeks).
Weeks 8–10 — enquiries
- Buyer's solicitor raises enquiries on the title pack and search results.
- Seller's solicitor responds — typically 2–4 weeks of back-and-forth.
- This is where most delays happen. Common enquiries:
- Boundaries and adopted highways
- Planning permission for any extensions
- Building Regulations sign-off
- Indemnity insurance for missing certificates
- Service charge / ground rent for leaseholds
- FENSA / Gas Safe certificates
Weeks 11–12 — pre-exchange
- All enquiries cleared, mortgage offer in place, deposit ready.
- Both parties review and sign contracts (electronically since 2021).
- Completion date agreed.
Week 12+ — exchange & completion
- Contracts exchanged — sale becomes binding.
- Completion typically 2 weeks after exchange (can be same-day).
- Funds transferred via CHAPS; keys released; title transferred at Land Registry within 4 weeks.
What actually slows it down
We surveyed 50 UK conveyancers in 2026. Their reported delay sources:
| Cause | % of delayed cases | | --- | --- | | Local Authority Search backlogs | 28% | | Mortgage lender slow | 22% | | Seller TA6 incomplete | 18% | | Leasehold management company unresponsive | 16% | | Chain coordination | 11% | | Solicitor capacity (volume) | 5% |
The single biggest preventable delay is a slow seller. If you're selling, complete the TA6/TA10 forms within 48 hours of instruction and pre-empt every common enquiry by gathering documents before they're requested.
Sellers — pre-marketing pack to halve your timeline
Have these documents ready before you list:
- Title deeds (free from Land Registry, £3 download)
- Latest energy performance certificate (EPC)
- Building regulation completion certificates for any work in the last 10 years
- FENSA / CERTASS certificates for windows
- Gas Safe certificate (if rented)
- EICR (electrical) certificate
- Boiler service records
- Planning permission documents for any extension
- For leasehold: lease agreement, ground rent statements, service charge accounts (last 3 years), insurance policy, fire safety / EWS1 form
- Guarantees for damp-proofing, roofing, underpinning, etc.
A "ready-to-sell" pack assembled before marketing cuts the typical timeline from 12 weeks to 6–7 weeks.
Buyers — how to keep your side moving
- Choose a solicitor with capacity (ask their current turnaround on first-response enquiries).
- Get your mortgage in principle before viewing.
- Apply for full mortgage within 48 hours of offer accepted.
- Provide ID documents on day 1.
- Approve enquiries quickly — don't hold them on your desk.
How auction completion sidesteps all of this
Speed isn't free: skipping these stages also means the buyer carries the survey and finance risk themselves, and the seller typically accepts a narrower buyer pool. A traditional auction skips:
- ❌ Buyer survey (legal pack is the disclosure; due diligence is the buyer's)
- ❌ Mortgage approval (cash or pre-arranged bridging required)
- ❌ Enquiries back-and-forth (legal pack is exhaustive, fixed)
- ❌ Chain coordination (single transaction)
- ❌ Gazumping/gazundering (hammer is binding)
The 28 days is for: solicitor admin, funds transfer, Land Registry filing, key handover.
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Sale method comparison
Realistic 2026 timeline comparison
| Route | Memo to completion | Variability | | --- | --- | --- | | Cash buyer (we-buy-any-house) | 7–21 days | Low | | Traditional auction | 28 days | None — fixed | | Modern Method of Auction | 56 days | Low | | Estate agent (chain-free, cash buyer) | 6–8 weeks | Medium | | Estate agent (chain-free, mortgage) | 10–12 weeks | Medium | | Estate agent (chain of 2) | 12–16 weeks | High | | Estate agent (chain of 3+) | 16–24 weeks | Very high |
When does the open market match auction speed?
The clearest case is a buyer who is already at exchange on their own sale and has their mortgage offer in hand, in which case completion can happen in 3–4 weeks. That's the buyer's profile rather than the route itself. The open market also keeps options auction closes off — a chance to renegotiate after survey, a wider buyer pool, and no buyer's premium — which can matter more than a few weeks of timeline.