Week-by-Week Conveyancing Timeline for Sellers

Selling a property in England or Wales means navigating a conveyancing process that most sellers find opaque and frustratingly slow. The national average from accepted offer to completion is 12 to 16 weeks, according to HM Land Registry transaction data and Law Society estimates. But that headline figure hides a highly structured sequence of events, each with its own timeline, dependencies, and potential for delay.

This guide maps out exactly what happens in each week of the conveyancing process so you know what to expect, when to act, and where the common hold-ups occur. If you want a broader overview of how long the whole process takes, see our guide on how long conveyancing takes.

Overview: the conveyancing timeline at a glance

Before diving into the detail, here is a summary table showing the key milestones. Bear in mind that several stages run in parallel, so the total elapsed time is shorter than the sum of individual stages.

Week 1: instruction and getting started

The clock starts the moment your offer is accepted and the estate agent issues the memorandum of sale to both parties. This document confirms the buyer, the seller, the agreed price, and the solicitors acting for each side.

Your solicitor will ask you to provide proof of identity (passport or driving licence) and proof of address (a recent utility bill or bank statement) to satisfy anti-money laundering obligations under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. They will also request your title register and title plan from HM Land Registry, which costs \u00a33 per document.

If you instructed your solicitor before listing \u2014 which is the approach Pine recommends \u2014 all of this will already be done. Your solicitor can send the draft contract pack to the buyer's solicitor on day one, saving up to two weeks. See our guide on when to start conveyancing for more on early instruction.

Weeks 1\u20133: completing the property forms

This is the seller's busiest phase. You need to complete two key forms that the buyer's solicitor will scrutinise in detail:

• TA6 Property Information Form \u2014 a comprehensive questionnaire covering boundaries, disputes, rights of way, planning permissions, building work, flooding, services, and environmental matters. The form has 14 sections and requires specific, honest answers. Vague or incomplete responses will trigger additional enquiries later, adding weeks.
• TA10 Fittings and Contents Form \u2014 confirms which fixtures, fittings, and contents are included in the sale and which are excluded. Disagreements over items like curtain rails, light fittings, and garden sheds are a surprisingly common source of delay.
• TA7 Leasehold Information Form (if applicable) \u2014 covers details about the landlord, managing agent, service charges, ground rent, and building insurance.

While you complete these forms, your solicitor prepares the draft contract and assembles the contract pack. This pack typically includes the draft contract, official copies of the title register and plan, your completed property forms, and any supporting documents such as planning permissions, building regulations certificates, or guarantees.

The contract pack is then sent to the buyer's solicitor, ideally by the end of week 2. If you have a conveyancing checklist prepared in advance, this stage becomes significantly faster.

Weeks 2\u20138: property searches

Once the buyer's solicitor receives the contract pack, they order a standard package of property searches. The core searches include:

• Local authority search (LLC1 and CON29) \u2014 checks planning history, building control records, highways, conservation areas, tree preservation orders, and smoke control zones. This is almost always the slowest search, with turnaround times ranging from 1 week to 8 weeks depending on the council. Some London boroughs and rural authorities are notorious for lengthy delays.
• Drainage and water search \u2014 confirms connection to mains water and sewerage, and identifies any public drains running through or near the property. Usually returned in 3 to 5 working days.
• Environmental search \u2014 checks for contaminated land, flood risk, ground stability, radon gas, and proximity to landfill sites. Typically returned within 48 hours.
• Chancel repair liability search \u2014 checks whether the property may be liable to contribute to Church of England chancel repairs. Returned within 24 hours.

The local authority search is the critical bottleneck. While environmental and drainage searches come back in days, the local authority search can take weeks. This is why ordering seller-side searches upfront \u2014 before you even accept an offer \u2014 is one of the most impactful things a seller can do. The results are typically valid for six months and most buyer's solicitors will accept them, particularly from regulated search providers.

Weeks 2\u20134: mortgage valuation and survey

Running in parallel with searches, the buyer's lender arranges a property valuation. This is not the same as a full survey \u2014 it is a basic check to confirm the property is worth the amount being lent. The valuation is usually completed within 1 to 2 weeks of the mortgage application being submitted.

Some buyers also commission their own private survey (a HomeBuyer Report or a full Building Survey) during this period. If the survey reveals significant problems \u2014 subsidence, damp, structural issues \u2014 the buyer may renegotiate the price or withdraw entirely. From the seller's perspective, there is little you can do about this except ensure you have disclosed known defects honestly on the TA6 form.

Weeks 4\u201310: enquiries

This is the stage where most conveyancing transactions slow down or stall. Once the buyer's solicitor has reviewed the contract pack and received some or all of the search results, they raise pre-contract enquiries \u2014 written questions about anything that requires clarification or further evidence.

Common enquiry topics include:

• Building work carried out without clear building regulations sign-off or planning permission
• Boundary discrepancies between the title plan and the physical boundaries on the ground
• Missing guarantees for windows, damp-proofing, roofing, or other improvements
• Questions about rights of way, shared access, or restrictive covenants
• Issues flagged in the search results, such as nearby planning applications, flood risk, or contaminated land
• Unclear or incomplete answers on the TA6 form

The enquiry process works like this: the buyer's solicitor sends questions to your solicitor, who forwards them to you. You provide answers and any supporting documents, your solicitor relays them back, and the buyer's solicitor may raise follow-up questions. Each round can take a week or more if anyone in the chain is slow to respond.

The single most effective thing you can do at this stage is respond to enquiries on the same day they arrive. Every day you delay adds a day to the overall timeline. Be specific, be honest, and attach supporting evidence wherever possible. For detailed advice on handling this stage, see our guide on how to speed up conveyancing as a seller.

Weeks 4\u20138: mortgage offer

Once the valuation is satisfactory, the buyer's lender processes the mortgage application and issues a formal mortgage offer. This typically happens between weeks 4 and 8, though the timeline depends on the lender, the complexity of the buyer's financial situation, and whether any additional information is requested.

The mortgage offer is a critical dependency: exchange of contracts cannot happen until the offer is in place. If the buyer is a cash purchaser, this stage is skipped entirely, which is one reason cash sales complete faster. From the seller's perspective, you have no direct control over this stage, but you can request that your estate agent confirms the buyer has a mortgage agreement in principle before accepting their offer.

Weeks 8\u201312: report on title and final preparations

Once all enquiries are resolved and search results are back, the buyer's solicitor prepares a report on title. This is a comprehensive document sent to the buyer summarising everything the solicitor has found: the search results, the enquiry responses, any risks or issues, and what the buyer needs to be aware of going forward.

The buyer reviews the report and confirms they are happy to proceed. If the buyer has concerns, this can trigger a final round of questions or negotiations. In some cases, the buyer may request indemnity insurance to cover specific risks (such as missing building regulations certificates or restrictive covenant issues), which the seller may be asked to pay for.

At the same time, both solicitors begin preparing for exchange. The seller's solicitor sends the engrossed (final) contract for the seller to sign. The buyer's solicitor confirms the deposit funds are in place and obtains the buyer's signature on their part of the contract.

Weeks 10\u201314: exchange of contracts

Exchange is the pivotal moment in the entire conveyancing timeline. Before exchange, either party can withdraw without penalty \u2014 and according to Propertymark, roughly 30% of agreed property sales in England and Wales fall through before this point. After exchange, both parties are legally committed and pulling out triggers significant financial penalties.

Exchange cannot happen until several conditions are met:

• All pre-contract enquiries have been satisfactorily answered
• All property searches have been returned and reviewed
• The buyer's mortgage offer is in place
• Both parties have signed their contracts
• The buyer has their deposit ready (usually 10% of the purchase price)
• Everyone in any property chain is ready to exchange simultaneously

The actual exchange is done by phone between the two solicitors, using one of the Law Society's standard exchange formulae (usually Formula B or C). It takes only a few minutes. A completion date is agreed and locked in \u2014 typically 1 to 2 weeks after exchange, though it can be on the same day in some circumstances.

For a detailed guide to what happens after this point, read our article on what happens between exchange and completion.

Weeks 12\u201316: completion day

Completion is the final step. On completion day, the buyer's solicitor transfers the remaining purchase funds to the seller's solicitor. Once your solicitor confirms the money has arrived \u2014 usually by early afternoon \u2014 you hand over the keys, typically to the estate agent's office.

Your solicitor then uses the funds to repay any outstanding mortgage on the property, pay the estate agent's commission, deduct their own legal fees, and transfer the remaining balance to your bank account. This usually happens within 1 to 2 working days of completion.

After completion, the buyer's solicitor pays Stamp Duty Land Tax (if applicable) and registers the transfer of ownership with HM Land Registry. As the seller, your obligations are complete once you have vacated the property and handed over the keys.

How sellers can compress the timeline

The 12-to-16-week average assumes a seller who starts preparing legal paperwork only after accepting an offer. If you front-load the preparation, the timeline shrinks dramatically:

A seller who takes all of these steps can realistically complete conveyancing in 6 to 8 weeks rather than the standard 12 to 16. That is not just faster \u2014 it materially reduces the risk of the sale falling through due to buyer frustration, changing market conditions, or a break elsewhere in the chain.

Pine helps sellers prepare a complete, solicitor-ready legal pack before they list. By the time you accept an offer, your solicitor has everything they need to send the contract pack on day one, with searches already done and forms already completed.

What causes the timeline to stretch beyond 16 weeks?

While 12 to 16 weeks is the average, some transactions take significantly longer. The most common causes of extended timelines are:

• Long property chains \u2014 every additional link in the chain adds complexity. The slowest participant sets the pace for everyone. Chains of 4 or more properties can push the timeline to 20\u201324 weeks.
• Leasehold complications \u2014 obtaining the management pack from the freeholder or managing agent can take 2 to 4 weeks. Short leases (under 80 years) introduce further delays around lease extension negotiations.
• Title defects \u2014 missing easements, restrictive covenants, unregistered land, or boundary disputes can add weeks or months while solutions are negotiated.
• Slow local authority searches \u2014 some councils take 6 to 8 weeks to return results, particularly during busy periods or when staffing is limited.
• Buyer mortgage issues \u2014 a down-valuation, additional lender requirements, or a change in the buyer's financial circumstances can delay or derail the mortgage offer.
• Unresponsive parties \u2014 slow solicitors on either side, sellers who take weeks to answer enquiries, or managing agents who do not respond to information requests are all common culprits.

Sources and further reading

• HM Land Registry \u2014 Transaction data, title document services, and property registration guidance (gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry)
• The Law Society \u2014 Conveyancing Quality Scheme, TA6/TA10/TA7 form standards, and local authority search monitoring (lawsociety.org.uk)
• Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) \u2014 Solicitor conduct rules and complaints procedures (sra.org.uk)
• Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) \u2014 Licensed conveyancer register and regulatory standards (clc.gov.uk)
• Propertymark \u2014 Research on fall-through rates and property market data (propertymark.co.uk)
• HomeOwners Alliance \u2014 Consumer research on conveyancing delays and buyer/seller experiences (hoa.org.uk)
• Gov.uk \u2014 Guidance on buying and selling property, Stamp Duty Land Tax, and Land Registry services (gov.uk)
• Money Laundering Regulations 2017 \u2014 HM Treasury guidance on identity verification requirements for solicitors (legislation.gov.uk)

Related guides

• How Long Does Land Registry Registration Take?
• How Long Does Probate Take Before You Can Sell?
• Conveyancing for New Build Properties: Timeline and Process
• What Does Conveyancing Actually Include?

Frequently asked questions