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Original poster

How long is a chain free sale taking?

34 replies

IloveSooty424 · 23/05/2021 19:03

We’re FTBs and had an offer accepted on a house this week. We found out today that our seller is chain free. How long are chain free sales taking if you’ve sold/bought recently? We’d ideally like to move into our new house during the school summer holidays. It that realistic? Thanks.

OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 23/05/2021 19:05

Ours took six months (October to Easter)

Shinyflowers · 23/05/2021 19:14

House may be more straight forward than a flat, so summer may be possible. A lot depends on Solicitors.

AKAanothername · 23/05/2021 19:18

Not my sale, but MIL, offer accepted 21st September sale completed 15th January. Just under four months, she was a cash buyer but the local authority searches took forever.

UCOinanOCG · 23/05/2021 19:21

My DD offered on a house mid March and they are on track to exchange at the very start of June. The house is empty and they are renting so nothing to hold up either party.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 23/05/2021 19:25

Part of the reason ours took so long was untangling the ownership of the road the house is on.... (The airport owns it apparently. We are over a mile from the airport...)

BlueCherryBlossom · 23/05/2021 21:36

Our chain free sale took 17 weeks, completed this week.

Our buyers' lender wanted something structural checking which accounts for 4 of the weeks, but it was very straightforward otherwise. Solicitors are snowed under and slow, even when being actively chased along.

UpTheJunktion · 24/05/2021 07:49

Depends on:
How long searches are taking in your area (have you instructed a solicitor and commissioned searches to get that going?)
How long surveys take to book and report - ditto - get that underway asap
How long your lender takes to approve each stage
Whether the survey raises enquiries or suggestions for further surveys e.g damp
How quick your vendors are to respond to enquiries, provide paperwork such as boiler guarantees, FENSA certificates, any Building Regulation certificates as needed. etc.

So it can be really quick, (say 8 weeks) if very uncomplicated, or take weeks.

Depending.

We did a chain with complications along the way in 16 weeks during COVID and SDLT frenzy, so it can be done.

You need a solicitor who has capacity - check this with them when you take them on, and maybe ask the EA for recommendations of solicitors that act quickly and efficiently.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep · 24/05/2021 07:51

I offered in February and still not exchanged. We are chain free but there were still some legal issues to sort out with the lease.

SpnBaby1967 · 24/05/2021 08:59

We have a cash buyer and our sellers have no onward chain and we're having a nightmare. We're a good 8 weeks in & exchange is still nowhere is sight due to our sellers moving at a snail's pace despite them setting a completion date of 20th june 🙄

At this rate, we're looking at mid july Angry which will be annoying as we want the stamp duty holiday.

CookieDoughKid · 25/05/2021 23:34

15 weeks. 8 weeks to return searches.

GoodSister · 25/05/2021 23:48

8 weeks exactly, Jan-Mar 2021, good luck OP

RigaBalsam · 29/05/2021 13:29

We are 2 months in but waiting for probate.

missbunnyrabbit · 29/05/2021 14:10

There was no chain at all for mine, and it still took 6 months! It was ridiculous, the searches and everything else just took forever. I thought I'd be in within 2-3 months.

iamruth · 29/05/2021 14:34

Depends on so many things, we had a short chain (we were three of four) and managed 5 weeks 4 days but there are so Many variables it’s impossible to say

Popskipiekin · 29/05/2021 14:43

Ours took 7 weeks to exchange - 3 weeks waiting around for the buyers survey to come back - and now we are having a long completion but we could have been done and dusted in under 10 weeks I reckon. It’s easy if there is nothing to hold it up and you have good solicitors both sides

Original poster
IloveSooty424 · 29/05/2021 14:52

We have been given an estimated completion date of 8th August. I’d be really happy if we made it. We have our survey booked but have been told it will be mid-June by the earliest. We only officially had our offer accepted on Monday afternoon. So far this week the mortgage broker has set up our mortgage which we’ve signed, we have arranged a survey and I completed the initial conveyancing paperwork yesterday. As long as things keep moving at this pace I’ll be happy.

OP posts:
stuckinarutatwork · 29/05/2021 15:00

DSis is a solicitor. It's an absolute minimum of 4-5 months currently but usually more.

ApolloandDaphne · 29/05/2021 15:07

@stuckinarutatwork

DSis is a solicitor. It's an absolute minimum of 4-5 months currently but usually more.
That is obviously not true everywhere because people have described much shorter times on this thread.
mummabubs · 29/05/2021 15:34

@stuckinarutatwork

DSis is a solicitor. It's an absolute minimum of 4-5 months currently but usually more.
I would take this with a pinch of salt OP as it depends on so many different factors.

We completed 2 weeks ago in a chain of 3... Took us 9 weeks from start to finish as we had a great solicitor and we were lucky with searches in our area coming back quickly. We could have actually completed a week earlier but our buyer's solicitors weren't very proactive.

By contrast my sister bought chain-free late last year and it took over 5 months due to probate taking so long to come through.

I know it's really alluring to feel like you have some certainty over how long it will take, sadly I don't think anyone here can give it to you! Hope it goes through quickly though 😊

NotDavidTennant · 29/05/2021 15:43

TBH I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself if you haven't even had the survey yet. That can throw up all kinds of issues.

Nat6999 · 29/05/2021 15:45

Council stuff is taking ages, I have a friend who applied for planning permission goy told an extra 2 months+ because of covid.

korawick12345 · 29/05/2021 16:14

We accepted offer 16th march - and completing 11th June. buyer was slow to organise survey so could have been quicker. This was a flat sale with a 3 week completion at our request

Redglitter · 29/05/2021 16:22

My house purchase was chain free. Took just under 5 weeks.

frogsbreath · 29/05/2021 16:23

Brother in law bought first house, chain free, took two months and he moves in today.

underthewestway · 29/05/2021 16:25

We completed last Tuesday, offer accepted first week November. So approx. 6.5 months. And that was with us and the seller being really on the case!