What to Do If Your Buyer Keeps Delaying

You accepted an offer weeks ago. Your solicitor has done their work, your paperwork is in order, and you expected to be approaching exchange by now. Instead, you are chasing your estate agent for updates and hearing the same thing: the buyer needs more time.

This is one of the most common frustrations in the English and Welsh property market. According to HM Land Registry data and industry estimates, the average time from accepted offer to completion is 12 to 16 weeks for a straightforward freehold sale. But when a buyer is slow, that timeline can stretch to six months or more — and in the worst cases, the sale falls through entirely.

This guide helps you work out whether your buyer's delays are genuine, what you can do to move things along, and at what point you should consider remarketing your property.

Why do buyers delay? Common genuine reasons

Before assuming the worst, it is worth understanding that many delays in the conveyancing process are genuine and outside the buyer's direct control. The Law Society's Conveyancing Protocol acknowledges that the transaction timeline depends on multiple third parties, and no single party can guarantee a completion date until all the pieces are in place.

Slow local authority searches

Local authority searches are one of the most common bottlenecks. Turnaround times vary enormously across England and Wales — some councils return results within five working days, while others take six to eight weeks or more. According to the Law Society, search delays are one of the most frequently cited causes of slow conveyancing. If your buyer's solicitor has ordered searches and is waiting for the local authority, there is little anyone can do to speed this up beyond requesting personal searches (which are faster but not accepted by all lenders). For more on this, see our guide on how to speed up conveyancing as a seller.

Mortgage underwriting delays

Even with a mortgage agreement in principle (AIP), the formal mortgage application process can take four to six weeks, and sometimes longer. Lenders may request additional documentation from the buyer (proof of bonus income, explanations of credit history, further bank statements), or may need to arrange a second valuation if the first raised concerns. If the buyer is self-employed or has a complex income structure, underwriting can take significantly longer than average. None of this is unusual or necessarily a cause for alarm.

Chain complications

If your buyer is also selling a property, their ability to exchange depends on their own buyer being ready. A chain of three or four properties is common, and a delay anywhere in the chain affects everyone above and below. According to the HomeOwners Alliance, roughly 30% of property sales in England and Wales involve a chain, and chain-related delays are one of the top reasons house sales fall through. If your buyer is in a chain, ask your agent to get regular updates on the status of every link.

Solicitor backlogs and slow conveyancers

Not all solicitors work at the same pace. Some firms take on more cases than they can handle, leading to delays in raising enquiries, responding to enquiries, or reporting to the buyer. If the buyer's solicitor is consistently slow, this is a genuine cause of delay, but it is something the buyer can address by chasing their own solicitor or, in extreme cases, switching firms. The Law Society and Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) both set service standards that regulated firms are expected to meet.

Survey issues requiring further investigation

If the buyer's surveyor has flagged issues — subsidence risk, damp, structural movement, Japanese knotweed, or asbestos — the buyer may need to commission specialist reports before their lender will issue the mortgage offer. These reports can take two to four weeks to arrange and complete. While this is frustrating for you as the seller, it is a reasonable and standard part of the process. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) advises buyers to investigate all significant matters raised in the survey before committing to exchange.

Red flags: when delays are a warning sign

Not every delay is innocent. Some patterns suggest that the buyer is either unable to complete, is having second thoughts, or is deliberately stalling. Here are the warning signs to watch for:

No mortgage agreement in principle

If your buyer accepted the offer several weeks ago and still does not have a mortgage agreement in principle, this is a serious concern. An AIP typically takes 24 to 48 hours to obtain and is a basic prerequisite that most estate agents verify before recommending you accept an offer. A buyer without an AIP may be unable to secure funding at all. Ask your estate agent to confirm the buyer's mortgage position immediately and consider how long you are prepared to wait. For guidance on evaluating buyers before accepting, see our guide on how to choose the right buyer.

Lack of communication

A buyer who is committed to completing will keep the lines of communication open, even when things are moving slowly. If your estate agent is struggling to get responses from the buyer or their solicitor, or if updates are vague and non-specific (“we are waiting on a few things” without details), this is a red flag. Engaged buyers want the sale to progress and will typically provide clear explanations when asked what is holding things up.

Changing demands or renegotiation attempts

If the buyer starts raising new issues — requesting a price reduction based on the survey, asking you to carry out repairs as a condition of proceeding, or changing the proposed completion date repeatedly — this may indicate they are looking for a reason to pull out or are attempting to gazunder. While some renegotiation after a survey is reasonable (for example, if a significant defect was discovered), a pattern of shifting demands is a warning sign.

The buyer's solicitor is unresponsive

If your solicitor reports that the buyer's solicitor is not responding to correspondence, not answering phone calls, or taking weeks to reply to routine enquiries, this is a problem. It may mean the buyer has not given their solicitor clear instructions to proceed, or that the solicitor has concerns about the buyer's ability to complete. Ask your own solicitor to make direct solicitor-to-solicitor contact (by phone, not just email) to establish what is happening.

The buyer has not instructed a solicitor at all

If several weeks have passed since the offer was accepted and the buyer has not yet instructed a solicitor, this is one of the strongest red flags. Instructing a solicitor is one of the first things a committed buyer does. Without a solicitor on the other side, the conveyancing process cannot even begin.

Strategies to move things forward

If your buyer is causing delays, there are several practical steps you can take before deciding to remarket. The key is to be systematic, reasonable, and firm.

Establish a weekly progress call

Set up a regular weekly call with your estate agent to review the status of the transaction. During this call, your agent should be able to tell you:

• Whether the buyer's mortgage application has been submitted and its current status
• Whether searches have been ordered and when results are expected
• Whether the buyer's solicitor has raised enquiries and whether your solicitor has responded
• Whether there are any outstanding issues in the chain
• What the buyer says is the specific reason for the current delay

A good estate agent will be proactive about chasing both sides. If your agent is not providing this level of detail, tell them you expect it. You are paying their commission, and managing the transaction to completion is part of their job.

Request solicitor-to-solicitor contact

Email communication between solicitors can be slow and imprecise. Ask your solicitor to pick up the phone and speak directly to the buyer's solicitor to get a candid assessment of where things stand. A five-minute phone call can often reveal more than weeks of email exchanges. Your solicitor should be asking specific questions: what is the buyer waiting for, what is the realistic timeline, and is there anything on your side that is causing a hold-up.

Set a clear and reasonable deadline

If informal chasing is not working, it is time to set a formal deadline. This can be done through your estate agent in the first instance, with a clear message: you expect exchange to take place by a specific date, and if it does not, you will begin remarketing the property. Be specific about the date and make sure the buyer understands the consequences.

A reasonable deadline depends on the circumstances. If the buyer needs to wait for local authority searches, giving them two weeks after the expected return date is fair. If the delay is unexplained, two to three weeks from the date of the deadline is typically sufficient. For more on setting exchange deadlines, see our guide on how long to give your buyer to exchange.

Send a formal deadline letter through your solicitor

If a verbal deadline through your estate agent has not produced results, escalate to a formal written deadline from your solicitor to the buyer's solicitor. This letter should:

• State clearly that the delay is unacceptable and is causing you financial and practical difficulties
• Request a detailed written explanation of what is causing the hold-up and what steps the buyer is taking to resolve it
• Set a specific date by which exchange must take place (or meaningful progress must be demonstrated)
• State that if the deadline is not met, you will remarket the property and consider other offers

While this letter is not legally binding (there is no contract before exchange), it signals that you are serious and prepared to walk away. In many cases, this is enough to prompt action from a buyer who has been dragging their feet.

Ask your agent to apply pressure

Your estate agent has a direct financial interest in the sale completing — they do not get paid until it does. A good agent will be willing to have a frank conversation with the buyer, explaining that the sale is at risk if progress is not made. They can also contact the buyer's estate agent (if the buyer is in a chain) to apply pressure from that direction.

When to remarket your property

There comes a point where waiting for a slow buyer is costing you more than starting again. Here are the circumstances where remarketing is usually the right decision:

• The buyer cannot confirm a mortgage offer after eight weeks or more, with no clear explanation of the hold-up.
• Communication has broken down and neither the buyer nor their solicitor is responding to reasonable requests for updates.
• The buyer has missed two or more deadlines you have set, without providing a credible explanation or evidence of progress.
• The buyer is attempting to renegotiate the price without a legitimate reason (such as a significant defect revealed by the survey).
• The buyer's chain has collapsed and they need to sell their own property before they can buy yours, with no realistic timeline for doing so.
• You have been under offer for more than 16 weeks with no exchange date in sight and no specific, verifiable reason for the ongoing delay.

If any of these apply, speak to your estate agent about remarketing options. You do not necessarily need to formally withdraw from the sale to begin remarketing — you can put the property back on the market while continuing to proceed with the current buyer. For more on what happens if the sale does fall through, see our guide on what to do if your buyer pulls out.

Keeping your property on the market while proceeding

One of the most effective strategies when dealing with a slow buyer is to keep your property on the market (or put it back on the market) while continuing with the current transaction. This is sometimes called proceeding “on a non-exclusive basis.”

Here is how it works in practice:

• You are legally entitled to do this. Until contracts are exchanged, you have no legal obligation to sell to any particular buyer, and the buyer has no legal right to prevent you from marketing the property.
• Tell your buyer what you are doing and why. Transparency is important. Let them know through your agent that due to the delays, you are putting the property back on the market as a precaution, but you are still willing to proceed with them if they can exchange within a reasonable timeframe.
• This applies pressure without burning bridges. Many buyers who have been slow will suddenly find they can move faster when they realise they are at risk of losing the property. The threat of competition is a powerful motivator.
• It gives you a fallback position. If the current buyer does eventually pull out, you are not starting from scratch. You may already have viewings booked or a backup offer in place.

The downside is that some buyers may withdraw if they feel you are not committed to them. Discuss this risk with your estate agent before proceeding. In most cases, a buyer who withdraws because you remarketed was unlikely to complete in any event.

The cost of waiting vs the cost of moving on

Before deciding to remarket, it is worth calculating the actual costs of each option. Here is a framework for thinking about it:

Costs of continuing to wait

Costs of remarketing

In many cases, the cost of waiting three or four more months for an unreliable buyer exceeds the cost of remarketing and finding someone who can actually complete. The key is not to let the sunk cost of time already invested prevent you from making a rational decision about the future.

How to protect yourself from the start

The best way to deal with buyer delays is to minimise the risk of them happening in the first place. Here are steps you can take when accepting an offer:

1. Verify the buyer's funding before accepting. Ask your estate agent to confirm that the buyer has a mortgage agreement in principle (or proof of funds if they are a cash buyer). Do not accept an offer from someone who has not taken this basic step. See our guide on how to choose the right buyer for a full checklist.
2. Understand the buyer's chain position. A first-time buyer or someone in rented accommodation will generally complete faster than someone who needs to sell their own property first. If you have multiple offers, weigh chain length alongside price.
3. Agree a target exchange date upfront. When you accept the offer, agree with the buyer (through your agent) on a target date for exchange. This sets expectations from the outset and gives you a benchmark to measure progress against.
4. Prepare your legal documents early. The more work you complete on your side before accepting an offer, the less reason there is for delays on yours. Complete the TA6 and TA10 forms, gather your title documents, and have your solicitor prepare the draft contract pack so it can be sent to the buyer's solicitor within days of the offer being accepted. This is exactly what Pine helps sellers do — getting sale-ready before you even list.
5. Choose a proactive solicitor. Your solicitor's responsiveness sets the tone for the transaction. If your solicitor is slow, the buyer's side has less incentive to be fast. For tips on keeping conveyancing on track, see our guide on how to speed up conveyancing as a seller.

What your estate agent should be doing

Your estate agent plays a critical role in managing the transaction between offer and exchange. If your buyer is delaying, your agent should be:

• Contacting the buyer and their solicitor at least weekly to get specific updates on progress
• Identifying the exact cause of the delay and communicating it to you in clear, factual terms
• Advising you honestly about whether the sale is likely to complete and whether you should consider other options
• Being willing to have difficult conversations with the buyer about deadlines and consequences
• Liaising with other agents in the chain (if applicable) to get a full picture of where things stand

If your estate agent is not doing these things, raise it with them directly. An agent who is passive during a difficult transaction is not earning their commission.

A step-by-step action plan for dealing with buyer delays

Here is a practical timeline for escalating your response to a buyer who is not progressing at a reasonable pace:

These timeframes are guidelines, not rules. If the buyer has a clear, verifiable reason for the delay (for example, a six-week local authority search wait), adjust accordingly. The point is to have a structured approach rather than drifting indefinitely.

What happens if the buyer does pull out

If the delays ultimately lead to the buyer withdrawing, you will need to remarket your property and start the process again. While this is frustrating, it is not the end of the world — especially if you have been prepared:

• Your paperwork can be reused. The TA6, TA10, title documents, and other seller-side paperwork you prepared for the first buyer can be used again with a new buyer. You may need to update some details, but you will not be starting from scratch.
• Your solicitor already knows the file. If you stay with the same solicitor, they already understand the property and the title, which speeds up the process the second time around.
• You can learn from the experience. If the first buyer delayed because of funding issues, you can be more rigorous about verifying the next buyer's financial position before accepting. See our guide on what to do if your buyer pulls out for a detailed action plan.

For a broader look at the reasons sales collapse and how to prevent it, see our guide on why house sales fall through.

Sources

• Law Society — Conveyancing Protocol, 5th edition (lawsociety.org.uk)
• HomeOwners Alliance — guidance on buyer delays and remarketing (hoa.org.uk)
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) — guidance on survey-related investigations (rics.org)
• HM Land Registry — property transaction data (gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry)
• Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) — service standards for regulated conveyancers (clc.gov.uk)
• RICS — UK Residential Market Survey (monthly reports on market conditions and transaction times)

Related guides

• Understanding Your Buyer\u2019s Chain
• What Do Buyer\u2019s Searches Check?
• Buyer Getting Cold Feet Before Exchange
• Managing Buyer Expectations Throughout the Sale
• Buyer Moving Slowly: What Sellers Can Do
• What to Do If Your Buyer\u2019s Finance Falls Through

Frequently asked questions