Timeline from enquiries to completion?

[FTimeBuyer]

I was wondering how long in people's experience it takes from the time of enquiries being raised with the seller's solicitor (after receiving contract packs) to completion? Is four/five weeks do-able?

Long story as short as possible - We have previously told our solicitor we need to complete by mid-November. They have told us everything is fine, progress is being made, you'll have contracts soon, don't worry etc. However, it's now transpired that, despite having the seller's contract pack for a month, they may not have raised enquiries with the seller's solicitor yet (they told me yesterday they would do it that day - I will be checking on Monday to make sure this has actually happened!) and are being very non-committal about working to a date for an exchange (the best I could get them to commit to yesterday was 'as soon as possible').

Given that they are aware we NEED to complete by mid-November, this seems alarmingly behind schedule and yet they are still telling us not to worry?!?

Are they right? Is mid-November still do-able or do they need a kick up the backside/serious telling off? Also, would it be unreasonable to insist they aim for the end of October for exchange? I feel that my understanding of 'as soon as possible' is VERY different to their's!

With lazy hair flicking solicitors nothing will happen. Escalate or sack.

How long do searches take in your area? Have they been dome?

I think enquiries to completion was about 4 weeks for us.
It’s all so bloody frustrating isn’t it?!

We’ve just started this week and aiming for 3rd November for completion! Hoping we can get close to that so it must be doable in theory.

Following and wishing you luck. I had an offer accepted last week, now can’t decide whether to pay for searches now or once mortgage is offered (FTB). Desperate to move before xmas.

If your solicitor isn’t following through on agreed time scales could you find a new one?

In the nicest possible way, no-one can set a deadline to completion until everyone knows what they are buying. For example a freehold property being sold by the owners who are named on the title deeds and that those title deeds don't show up any questionable covenants or rights of way will be the quickest transactions. Leasehold or freehold properties where there are anomalies with names on the title, there are management companies to deal with or there are restrictive covenants which could potentially be an issue, will naturally take much longer. It is not really that the solicitor doesn't follow your agreed time scales (don't forget third parties are usually involved), but that information hasn't been provided within the timescale which then makes the timescale impossible to stick to.

You could change solicitor, but this will delay matters as the seller's solicitor will request all paperwork be sent back to them and then it will all have to be forwarded to the new solicitor.