Homebuying delays: Are conveyancers to blame?
For many buyers and sellers across the UK, the excitement of agreeing a sale is quickly followed by a frustrating reality: the long wait to completion.
It’s a question we hear time and time again—why does buying a home take so long? And perhaps more importantly, who is actually responsible? Data suggests one of the main factors is conveyancing.
📊 The Reality of Today’s Property Timeline
Recent findings from Lyons Bowe, conducted alongside ProperPR, paint a clear picture of just how stretched timelines have become.
According to the survey of over 1,000 UK homeowners:
- 72% said their purchase took more than 12 weeks from offer to completion
- 25% experienced delays beyond 16 weeks
- 22% waited over 24 weeks—meaning many transactions are now taking six months or more
- 63% felt the process took longer than expected
For buyers eager to move into their new home, these delays can feel endless—and often costly.
⚖️ Conveyancing: The Main Bottleneck?
When asked which stage caused the most delays, a significant 65% of buyers pointed to conveyancing—the legal process of transferring property ownership.
From an estate agent’s perspective, this isn’t entirely surprising.
Conveyancing sits at the heart of every transaction. It involves:
- Legal checks and contracts
- Property searches
- Liaising with lenders
- Coordinating with all parties in the chain
It’s a detailed and necessary process—but one that is often slowed by:
- Backlogs in local authority searches
- High caseloads within legal firms
- Repeated document requests
- Limited communication between parties
In fact, more than half of buyers (54%) described conveyancing as the most difficult stage to navigate, while 74% said it involved the most back-and-forth communication.
🔗 The Property Chain Effect
While conveyancing takes much of the blame, it’s far from the only factor.
Property chains—where multiple transactions are dependent on one another—remain a major contributor to delays. The research shows that 27% of buyers identified chains as the biggest holdup.
And it’s easy to see why.
In a typical chain:
- One delay impacts everyone
- A single issue (survey, mortgage, legal query) can stall progress
- Coordination across multiple buyers, sellers, and agents becomes increasingly complex
Chains are often where timelines become unpredictable, and unfortunately, they are an unavoidable part of many UK transactions.
🏦 The Role of Lenders and Surveyors
Interestingly, mortgage lenders and surveyors were cited far less frequently as the main cause of delays—just 4% each.
However, from our experience in the field, their influence shouldn’t be underestimated.
Mortgage approvals, valuations, and underwriting processes can still:
- Add unexpected waiting time
- Introduce last-minute complications
- Require additional documentation
While they may not be the primary bottleneck, they remain an important piece of the puzzle.
⏳ Delays Within the Legal Stage
Digging deeper into the data, even the conveyancing timeline itself varies significantly:
- 25% completed within 12 weeks
- 21% took up to 16 weeks
- 24% exceeded 16 weeks
This inconsistency highlights one of the biggest challenges in the property process: a lack of predictability.
For buyers and sellers trying to plan their move, this uncertainty can be just as frustrating as the delay itself.
💬 Communication: The Underlying Issue
One theme runs through almost every stage of the process—communication, or rather, the lack of it.
As Paul Lyons of Lyons Bowe explains, delays are often caused by:
- Fragmented communication between parties
- Repeated requests for the same information
- Limited visibility on progress
From an estate agent’s point of view, this is where many transactions begin to lose momentum.
Buyers feel out of the loop. Sellers grow impatient. And small issues can quickly escalate into major delays simply because information isn’t flowing efficiently.
🏡 An Estate Agent’s Perspective: It’s Not Just One Culprit
While it’s easy to point the finger at conveyancers, the reality is that no single party is entirely to blame.
Property transactions in the UK are complex by nature. They involve:
- Buyers and sellers
- Estate agents
- Solicitors and conveyancers
- Mortgage lenders
- Surveyors
- Local authorities
Each plays a vital role—and each operates on different timelines and priorities.
The result? A process where delays can occur at multiple points, often simultaneously.
🔍 What This Means for Buyers and Sellers
So, what should you take away from all of this?
Firstly, delays are now a common part of the property landscape, not the exception.
Secondly, preparation is key. Working with experienced professionals—whether that’s your agent, solicitor, or mortgage advisor—can help minimise delays and keep your transaction on track.
And finally, communication matters. Staying informed, responsive, and proactive can make a significant difference in how smoothly your move progresses.
📍 Final Thoughts
Buying a home is one of life’s biggest milestones, but it’s clear that the journey from offer to completion is still far from seamless.
For buyers and sellers alike, the key is not just knowing who might be slowing things down—but understanding how to navigate the process effectively. This is why we work with only the best solicitors, so if you are looking to buy a house and complete quickly, give us a call on 0121 681 6327.