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Original poster

No chain seller/First time buyer

26 replies

eieiodo · 16/07/2022 11:30

How long should it take for the sale to go through between a first time buyer and no chain seller. The mortgage has been improved approved; the survey has been done. Bank valued came and is doing report, which they should have back by now. I have purchased and sent the Management pack to my solicitor. She has instructed her solicitor.

My solicitor said he hasn't heard from their solicitor yet and will chase him.

I was wondering if anyone could advise me on when it will be completed?

I asked the estate agent and he said the average sale is 4 months.

OP posts:
FortonServices · 16/07/2022 11:57

Mine took 8 weeks. No chain either side also. It was a leasehold flat, so added complications / time dealing with the management company. 8 weeks from accepting offer to completion.

Nc58985 · 16/07/2022 11:59

Ours was a no chain buyer (had sold and living with family) and no chain seller - took eight weeks from offer to completion.

Chakraleaf · 16/07/2022 11:59

We just had this EXACT situation. But it took from February to last week to complete....

FortonServices · 16/07/2022 12:11

Chakraleaf · 16/07/2022 11:59

We just had this EXACT situation. But it took from February to last week to complete....

How come?

Minimalme · 16/07/2022 13:12

Conveyancing is excessively slow atm.

Four months and counting for our purchase Sad

Original poster
eieiodo · 16/07/2022 13:16

My solicitor seems really in the ball and seems very keen.

I just want to identify any delay tactics, so that I can move things along!

I hope mine is only 8 weeks!

OP posts:
Original poster
eieiodo · 16/07/2022 13:18

Congratulations Charakleaf - bet that's a relief!

OP posts:
JLQ1020 · 16/07/2022 13:18

From offer accepted to getting keys it was 11 weeks for us.

TheCrowening · 16/07/2022 13:20

Nine weeks for us but that was nearly 4 years ago

mindutopia · 16/07/2022 14:09

We were FTBs with a no chain vendor. All conveyancing and mortgage sorted and ready for exchange in 6-7 weeks at end of last year. Only reason it took a bit longer was because our vendors decided they wanted to move into one of their second homes, so had to wait for tenants to move out.

Original poster
eieiodo · 16/07/2022 14:54

6 weeks would be heaven!

OP posts:
Housebuyingfamily · 16/07/2022 14:57

10 weeks for us, chain free on both sides

Housebuyingfamily · 16/07/2022 14:57

Edit - freehold. Would be longer for leasehold

OooErr · 16/07/2022 15:59

Currently in the same position but waiting on mortgage approval. Chain free buyer, vendor also chain free.
How long it takes depends on their solicitor surely?
If it’s a freehold with no other issues then it shouldn’t take more than 3 weeks but a lot of ‘cheap’ firms have huge backlogs and are very slow.

The buyers might also have other enquiries…

OooErr · 16/07/2022 15:59

Also the buyers’ solicitor has more work to do. Caveat emptor.

RidingMyBike · 16/07/2022 16:09

Really variable. We sold to cash buyers last year and it took 30 days from offer to completion (we'd already moved out into rental for work relocation)

We've just bought a supposedly chain-free house (which turned out not to be) in a supposedly straightforward transaction and it almost four months.

Keyboardist · 16/07/2022 16:46

Ours took 10 weeks this year. In theory it could have been done in 7 weeks but we had some trouble getting an extra survey we required. Our mortgage offer came through really quickly and both solicitors were on the ball.

Original poster
eieiodo · 16/07/2022 18:39

Oooer I think she has chosen a cheap one, mine is a good one.

What kinds of things are in searches I've forgotten? My solicitor said hers should be getting on with it now

OP posts:
OooErr · 16/07/2022 20:24

eieiodo · 16/07/2022 18:39

Oooer I think she has chosen a cheap one, mine is a good one.

What kinds of things are in searches I've forgotten? My solicitor said hers should be getting on with it now

www.graysons.co.uk/advice/conveyancing-searches-explained/
www.graysons.co.uk/advice/how-long-does-conveyancing-take/

The timeline is quite useful!

The buyer's solicitor should at least tell you where they are in the process. Rather than radio silence

Original poster
eieiodo · 16/07/2022 20:29

Thank you OooEr I will have a read of that.

Yes, I agree. I'm going to see if my solicitor received a response from hers yet.

The buyer is very nervy and has had every family member go to view on four different viewings and now wants another to measure for a sofa! I just want to see there are no delay tactics, as I want it straight back to viewings if I get a whiff of it.

OP posts:
OooErr · 16/07/2022 20:37

eieiodo · 16/07/2022 20:29

Thank you OooEr I will have a read of that.

Yes, I agree. I'm going to see if my solicitor received a response from hers yet.

The buyer is very nervy and has had every family member go to view on four different viewings and now wants another to measure for a sofa! I just want to see there are no delay tactics, as I want it straight back to viewings if I get a whiff of it.

I don't know your area or market but that seems very generous!
Houses here sell within days of multiple viewings. Ours went to best and final, we were the top offer (just barely apparently!) out of 4.

When we first viewed the house had all fixtures and fittings, they've been taken out now. I really want to see the house bare, also to measure rooms but don't want to spook seller into thinking I have second thoughts. I'll be going with the surveyor anyway...

The mortgage and LA searches take the most time. Also if there are any issues (our has a rentcharge that I want redeemed). If you already have a mortgage, nothing complicated and the LA searches have already started it shouldn't take more than a month for them to have at least FOUND something, if there is any..

mrsed1987 · 16/07/2022 20:41

11 weeks but that was 7 years ago. Currently in a chain and we are almost 5 months in

Cervinia · 17/07/2022 08:10

DDs was six months to the day last year. Started at just two people buying, but then the top person selling who was going to move in with her BF decided half way through she had found a house and was going to include it in the chain now. Plus the house she was selling needed a structural engineers report and then work doing before DDs seller could buy it.

What a pain.

TheFairyCaravan · 17/07/2022 08:14

We put our offer in on 19th January and completed on 6th May. We had everything ready to go by the middle of March, however our vendor had an issue with his mortgage so we were sitting twiddling our thumbs waiting on him for 6 weeks.

Frecklespy · 17/07/2022 08:15

You can't compare different transactions.

They are all different and third parties respond to queries as and when they can within the pressures of their own workloads.

The link above given by eieiodo doesn't mention solicitors' general enquiries. It mentions enquiries in relation to the search results but not other enquiries.

There will be quite a few enquiries as you are selling a leasehold property and there is a management company who will need to liaise with your solicitor. The enquiry stage is usually the longest and that is the part where you will need to be patient. If the enquiries are easy standard ones, then the sale will progress quickly, but if not, it can seriously delay the whole process.

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