Offer to completion timescale

[Baxdream]

Hi

We've had some last minute properties added to our chain (don't ask!). We're ready to exchange. How quickly can they be ready? We're willing to wait 8 weeks but no more and the whole chain have been told this too.

We're FTBs buying a chain free house. Offer accepted mid-August and working towards end of Nov exchange, so much longer than 8 weeks.

Our mortgage took about 4 weeks, but our searches aren't back and are expected to take 10-11 weeks, which is the reason for our timescales.

Offer made 15th July completion last Wednesday 7th October and the buyer for our property didn't have a survey.
Only 3 in the chain as we were selling an empty property.

Condition of my house purchase was 60days - but the people I bought from moved in with family. Depends how long the chain and whether anyone has a contingency plan so not to drop It for everyone

We’re currently on week 14 and still not in a position to exchange with a chain of 3. Obviously bare in mind that if it did take longer than 8 weeks (which is very optimistic given everything is taking longer at the moment) you’ll most likely be delayed by the Christmas shutdown.

Wow your searches were really long! Searches are 4-5 weeks in our area so searches will definitely be back within the timescales.
Thankfully the new additions all have proper estate agents so least we have someone pushing it.
We're 11 weeks in and are ready and have been for a couple of weeks.

We are standing by our decision to have an 8 week cut off (our mortgage offer expires then).

I am hoping that someone above us will opt to go to family. It's pointless it being us as we're ready.
I wonder if they'll change their mind when we have a week left on our mortgage offer and will pull out if we haven't exchanged.

I joined MN just now to ask this exact question.

We’re middle of the chain. FTB before us and our vendor is moving into rented.

FTB and us have both had valuations last week and are now waiting for the mortgage offers.

Contract picks have been sent to relevant conveyancers.

And this coming week we’re all going to instruct searches as apparently they’re very delayed.

So I have no idea how long it’ll take.

Last time it took 6 months for an excruciatingly simple purchase but our vendors solicitors were shit (DC Law).

I’d like to be in the new house in February

How do I find out how long searches will take? Solicitors aren’t local and estate agents dont seem to know!

I definitely think it depends who you've got working for you. If you have any online estate agents in your chain, expect no help whatsoever and the same goes for online conveyancers.

I think you could be in for Christmas with the right people.
We got our mortgage in 4 days but others seem to take weeks.

That would worry me that neither know that. Our solicitor is local and told us. Plus our estate agent knew too!

Ours took 11 weeks from applying for mortgage to completion and we were buying a house we already lived in (rented) from my parents so no chain, no surveys, and nobody physically moving.

We're on week 8 of waiting for searches with everything else pen ready (as of now, we've been waiting for searches for JUST searches for 5 weeks). Depending on your local area and how busy conveyancing is taking then I think 8 weeks is a complete pipe dream.

We were a chain of 5 houses, the one above our vendor cut the chain so it was then 3 houses: our house we were selling, the one we were buying and the house our vendor was buying.

From offer to completion it was 3.5 months and we had a pre Christmas rush to get all sorted which actually complicated things!

Just to reiterate it won't be 8 weeks for us, it'll be 20! It's a pipe dream for the couple that were no chain but now are buying..

our Estate Agent said 10 weeks for searches and our vendors estate agent laughed at the 10 weeks suggestion and said it was more like 3-4 weeks. But I just wanted an accurate estimate.

We’re using our amazing solicitors but they aren’t local. We trust her, we’ve used her 3 times now and she’s awesome! (I might have jinxed it now though!)

Our buyers solicitors have been amazing so far too and they aren’t local either.

Local solicitors here are quite well known for prioritising multimillion ££ properties so they’re painfully shit. In fact someone left a review for them recently saying “as useful as a cold bucket of piss”

Sounds like yours is a good one. Our solicitor came recommended and she has been phenomenal. The fact we're ready to exchange and have been since about week 8 proves that.

I’m in Cornwall

(And will happily hear from anyone who can recommend friendly and efficient conveyancers)

Apparently our buyers want to move in for Christmas

And our estate agents haven’t bothered telling them that it’s unrealistic why wouldn’t they warn them that it’s not likely?

I Had a buyer and an offer accepted on a house in June. The chain was completed at the beginning of September (seven in chain). I moved in December, so around 14 weeks. This was pre Covid and searches were quick.

That's great for a chain of 7!

Offer accepted August 3rd, completion date got set Friday for 6th of November. I'm a first time buyer and the flat is empty as the owner has already moved. No chain. Searches were quick, but there was a lease issue and as a FTB I didn't know when to do things like book a survey.

We're currently on week 7 of a 3 person chain (FTB-us-vendor). Waiting on searches still and reports from surveys being published(done this week). We've all been moving. Fast with paperwork etc! But mortgages have taken 3/4weeks, surveyors all booked up 3 weeks in advance and searches on a 6 week minimum. We are hoping so long as surveys come back clear on both properties we should see some more movement in the next two weeks.
I was told 12weeks is usually the average? So hopefully we might fit within that. I think 8 is tight.

We are about 10 weeks in, no chain either end and no mortgage, and we still don't have our searches back!

That's ridiculous @UnconsideredTrifles ! Ours were all back in under 5 weeks (most after 2 - it was only the drainage that took time).

These replies are making me panic somewhat! Maybe 10 weeks for searches is accurate sob.

I’ll be finding out tomorrow....