It has been reported that it takes an average of one hundred and fifty days to move from one home to the next, this is from your first offer through to the completion of the sales transfer. Data shows that the average time for a property transfer in the UK is around ninety days for private property sales. Leasehold transactions can take longer.

There is a lot of variation regarding the time it takes for a property transfer in the UK. Some freehold properties can take six weeks, others can be longer. When an offer is presented for a property purchase, the solicitor for buying the property will need to collect information from several places, which includes searches from local authorities. This can take an average of eighteen days to be completed and returned.

Because as solicitors for buying property, law firms cannot start the search until the new client has signed and returned the letter of instruction. Reputable law firms will start the legal work as soon as the offer is accepted, requesting the searches as soon as possible to speed up the process.

Once they are received by the solicitor for buying property, there are follow-up questions to be made with the seller’s lawyer, enquiries can take quite a while to resolve. Enquiries can sometimes take one hundred days. For those purchasing leasehold properties, which includes the majority of apartments and some houses, there can be an additional thirty-day delay in transfer, waiting for management companies to answer the necessary questions.

Ray Crudgington, the Managing Partner at Grant Saw Solicitors, said “Every property transfer is unique and while some can be completed quickly, others can be delayed for numerous reasons. Once all the searches and enquiries are completed, contracts are exchanged. As solicitors' hands are tied if we have to wait a long time for the other law firm to reply to enquiries or have their contracts signed. Almost every property transaction will have enquiries that will go back and forth multiple times before they are fully resolved. This can delay the transfer considerably. We do try and avoid this as much as possible and work tirelessly to ensure all transfers go ahead quickly.”

About Us:

Grant Saw Solicitors LLP is a London-based legal practice that caters to private and business clients. The firm has been operating since 1851 offering legal excellence and a modern and friendly approach. They are recognised for their excellence with numerous accreditations. Being members of LawNet, they share ideas and resources. Grant Saw Solicitors LLP are based in Blackheath and Greenwich, both offering disabled access. Their extensive range of legal services ranges from tenant and landlord disputes to residential property transfer, commercial property, insolvency, employment, and dispute resolution. Full details can be found at https://grantsaw.com.