House buying, timescales for searches etc?

[LizzieMint]

I really should remember this from last time, but does anyone know when the searches process starts and how long it takes to get results back? I'm trying to figure out what else needs to be finished before we get to exchange contracts, we've got mortgage offer, fixtures and fittings details, and survey is booked so I think it's just the survey results and searches outstanding? It all seems to have gone too smoothly and quickly so far!

search timescales vary with councils - so ring the planning department of yours and find out.

it is your solicitor's job to keep you updated. Pester.

We don't seem to be in any rush at the moment special, we were aiming to exchange mid-December and there doesn't seem to be much left to do, it's a bit unnerving!

Are all the replies to enquiries back? If yes, you are close to exchange, if no, it will be a while yet.

hopefully you aren't in a rush - but leave things to go quiet and you will be. Solicitors tend to doze off if not prodded and everyone buggers off a week before Christmas. (Wish I'd had jobs like that!)

what does the solicitor say about timescale?

Very good point about prodding them, will do that. We know about the Christmas work embargo, which is why we're aiming to exchange mid-dec then we won't complete until mid-jan.

It's a bit like how long a bit of string.

When we bought our house, we put the offer on it on the house on the 20th December and moved in (with a couple of weeks delay) on the 21st February. Yet my when my mum moved it took 7mths over the Spring/Summer.

Questionnaire and enquiries for vendor to respond to , checks of all certificates for work such as planning permission , buildings regs, FENSA etc or indemnities to cover them

We've had the questionnaire back already with all docs relating to building regs etc. We have (thankfully) very meticulous and amenable vendors!

Same experience here as Clutterbugsmum - last couple of times we've sold/purchased, we've done it all in less than six weeks (in fact last time it was only nine weeks from date we went on the market till completion!), but DS and his GF recently sold their first flat in London and despite accepting an offer within a couple of days, it was five months from offer till completion!

We're currently going through the process again and are awaiting the results of searches - we're told they'd be three weeks, which takes us to today so hoping we'll have results by the end if this week......our buyer is hoping to exchange next week, which is optimistic to say the least as no queries have been raised, let alone answered yet. Surveys done and all ok though, so fingers crossed :@)

were told