Why does the process take so long in England?

[Dailystuck71]

Ok, I am in Scotland so legally it’s different but also so much quicker.

I recently sold a property to a first time buyer. She offered Friday 13th October, offer accepted and missives concluded on 22nd November and she moved in on 1st December. So all in a total of 7 weeks.

I see threads on here saying that exchange etc in England can take months and months. Why is it like that?

[specialsubject]

A no chain sale like yours can be done that quickly in england too.

Ever been in a chain? A spoilt princess trying to evade cgt? A person who promises to go into rental but finds a place they want to buy? An understaffed council where searches take weeks?

[Dailystuck71]

Who is a spoilt princess? If that is a reference to me?

[bilbodog]

In england an offer is made and accepted subject to contract, then surveys and searches take place which can take a number of weeks, particularly if there are a number of properties in the chain.

Depending on the searches and survey more negotiations may take place until everyone is happy with the price and condition of the property.

At this point everyone exchanges contracts and only at this stage is everyone legally locked into the sale/purchase. I believe in scotland once an offer is accepted the deal is legally binding - so presumably you will have done searches and surveys before you offer.

I have heard of people spending money on surveys in scotland but then not having their offers accepted - so there can be frustrations in both camps.

[Dailystuck71]

Thanks for the response Bil. That’s informative. In Scotland it’s not legally binding until missives are concluded but we do have home reports so that takes away surveys being required. Still seems a huge amount of time passes but it seems to just be the way it is. Thanks again.

[wowfudge]

I suspect special is speaking from experience OP, she wasn't having a pop at you, I'm sure.

It's the different legal systems - Scottish law is based on Roman law. Land and property law in England and Wales are complex and add chains of buyers and sellers into the mix, plus mortgage lenders with their own agendas and it can take ages.

[specialsubject]

No, the cap doesn't fit unless you think it does. That was indeed experience.

Scotland just has the delays earlier. No idea how chains are handled there and no interest.

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

First house I bought was vacant and we were in within 6 weeks, second house we bought was vacant but we had to sell ours first I asked the solicitor to stall as long as possible as didn't want to pay for both houses until the first one sold. He managed to drag it out so it took 4 months from offer to completion. It all depends on the individual situation.

[Bubblysqueak]

From initial viewing to the day we moved in was almost exactly weeks (give or take a day or 2) in England. It all depends on the chain.

[FanSpamTastic]

We have completed a sale in 4 weeks in England from offer to completion. It was a no chain sale - we were moving into rented and buyer was moving out of rented. It was not easy but they were very motivated buyers and kept the pressure on their legal team to get through everything.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Depends on the circs. My dd's first house purchase was all wrapped up, from offer being accepted to completion, in 6 weeks. (Will admit that I was very surprised!) Her sellers had found a house they wanted, and didn't want to,lose it.
She did use the EAs mortgage broker and recommended solicitor, and I'm sure that helped to move it along.
Should add that she found exactly the same mortgage deal online as the in house chap was offering, for quite a bit less in fees. She told him and he matched it.

[RestingGrinchFace]

In England agreements of sale are stc and not binding in the way that they are in Scotland. This means that people make offers before selling their own house, drop putt of agreements, etc.

[Bellaposey]

I work in conveyancing and the average is easily 12 weeks. I think the biggest thing that slows things down is third parties- management companies, management agents, their solicitors etc. The whole thing is a racket. My own purchase (chain free) just completed in 5 weeks purely good luck (can't act on my own transaction) so it can be done.

[PickAChew]

We bought and sold with no further chain beyond our buyer and vendors and it still took more than 3 months. Vendors were a separated couple using a notoriously dire online conveyancer and they wasted a good month dicking about with things like not being around or otherwise enabling our surveyor to access the property on the date the survey was arranged, not answering the phone, male vendor going AWOL for over a week when we should have been ready to exchange, conveyancers not responding to solicitor and the line often just going to answerphone...