Can I still complete before April 2025?

[Lavendar01]

Quick background we have been sold since July last year. We have been extremely lucky with our buyer staying committed, but unfortunate with 3 of our onward properties that fell through (for one reason or another). The lenders made us submit new mortgage application each time.

We have now had an offer accepted on a 4th house, just had mortgage approved yesterday and contacted our solicitors to apply for searches and if we can complete before April 2025 to avoid paying that extra £3k on stamp duty. Mindful I'm probably a couple of grand above the originally quoted solicitor fees, as between last year and now, we've paid for the 3 searches and then the paperwork on the field on top. Urgent job has arisen with our current property where I'm needing to spend £4k before I go also (could my luck get more bad😭) . Solicitor said it will be very unlikely completion happens before April.

I understand everyone is pretty much in the same boat, pushing for completion before April, but everything with our conveyancing is up to date, has been for months, it was just our onward purchase holding us up. .

I'm considering my options of trying to save every pound, would I be better off taking my onward purchase searches to another solicitor who can ensure completion before April, thinking although it'll cost me another £1.5k to take to another solicitors, I'll still save £1.5k from stamp duty.

Or am I being unrealistic here ?

I saw, got searches done etc and completed in five weeks when I bought three plus years ago at peak Covid property madness. But on a previous attempt to buy - no chain and that stamp duty relief was in place that would have saved me £15k, but selling solicitor and client held it up and in the end they didnt sell. If your solicitor is on top of it and the selling solicitor is too then it can be done. Searches are usually down to the council - though you used to be able to do it in person for an extra fee and have it that day but don't think they do that now, and so another solicitor probably couldn't do that part quicker. Unfortunately no one can guarantee a deadline as there's so much out of their control. It can be done, it SHOULD be done, but it might not be.