Conveyancing: Is 6 weeks to draft a contract excessive?

[erlgray]

I'm selling my mum's house via probate. Probate was granted before we put the house on the market. We immediately got a chain-free cash buyer who wants to move quickly as they have been in rental accommodation for a while. I appointed a solicitor for conveyancing, and sent them all the documentation they requested. Since then 6 weeks have passed and nothing has moved. I spoke to the (trainee) solicitor a week ago and they said the contract was drafted, awaiting internal review and they would let me know when it had been sent to the buyer's solicitor, who will then begin to initiate searches, raise questions etc.

Has my solicitor been excessively slow? (They have very good reviews, but I suspect they are therefore over-swamped with work).

Yes far too slow. I’d be very worried about losing your buyer. Though the buyer solicitor has a lot of stuff like searches they can still be doing. Have there been enquiries your solicitor has responded to.

I would say that is slow. When I was a legal secretary the contract was a standard from on which you just add names, address, title number, price etc. I would apply for Office Copies which took a few days and copy property forms and other relevant documents. It will be slightly different as it's a Probate sale, but not to take so long. I wonder is the property unregistered? Because this takes a bit longer to prepare as there is a bit more to it. Either way a week to approve it is too long in my opinion.

If they've got everything they need (memorandum of sale, property information pack, fixtures and fittings) then 6 weeks is way too long.

The buyers will be doingbstuff from their end so there won't be any rush for the actual contract yet anyway. Have you already completed sellers property information forms etc that should have been sent prior to contracts being drafted?

@SeasonFinale

The buyers will be doingbstuff from their end so there won't be any rush for the actual contract yet anyway. Have you already completed sellers property information forms etc that should have been sent prior to contracts being drafted?

Not sure they are. I have an alert set on the property register, so would presubably know if their solicitor had initiated searches?

Usually it's the memorandum of sale rather than explicitly the final contract that is used to initiate the conveyancing process. We didn't receive the contract from seller's solicitors until just before exchange (which was about 6-8 weeks or so). But the memorandum of sale was sent in the first week and then we started on searches, enquiries, so everything was ready when contract came through.

You would absolutely know if you completed the Property Information Form. It's quite long and detailed. You wouldn't forget doing it.

I wouldn't have completed any searches before receiving draft contract papers, as they require the plan from the register along with the exact address as printed on the register at The Land Registry. As it is a lot of money to be spent if a detail incorrect.

@mindutopia

You would absolutely know if you completed the Property Information Form. It's quite long and detailed. You wouldn't forget doing it.

I have. I said at the start that I had completed all the documentation on my side.

@JackieCollinshasnoauthority

If they've got everything they need (memorandum of sale, property information pack, fixtures and fittings) then 6 weeks is way too long.

Yes, they got everything they asked for 6 weeks ago.

Agree too long.

A symptom of the legal profession in general not being customer friendly so to speak.