How long to the searches take?

[Toddlerteaplease]

Using my current rental property. The searches have been going on for the last couple of weeks. How long does this usually take and then what happens?

*buying!

I think it completely depends on your local council. We were informed that ours (for a freehold property) were going to take 6 weeks because the council dept was understaffed at the moment.

Most council websites display their current wait. Ours is 8 days.

Ours recently came back in 48 hours. 5 years ago with the same council, they took several weeks. Some councils display it in their websites.

According to my landlady the searches are complete. What happens next?

If everything else is in place, exchange contracts.

It’s not your landlady who gets them but your solicitor. They will prepare a report including the searches plus the usual owners questionnaire and fixtures and fittings form and the land registry details etc. He/she may have additional questions for the seller. Once those are answered then you both agree a completion date and both sign the contract. If you are getting a mortgage that’s just another layer of paperwork.