The Short Answer

For most straightforward sales, conveyancing takes somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks from the point your solicitor has everything they need to work with. According to data from Rightmove, the average time from offer accepted to completion in England and Wales sits at around 150 days when you factor in the full chain, though the legal portion of that is typically the 8 to 12 week window.

Some files move faster. Some take considerably longer. The difference usually comes down to a handful of factors that are worth knowing about upfront.

Why It Varies So Much

Conveyancing isn't just a transaction between you and your buyer. It involves your solicitor, your buyer's solicitor, your mortgage lender if you have one, your buyer's mortgage lender, the Land Registry, and potentially a management company if your property is leasehold. Every additional party in that chain is another potential point of delay.

The most common reasons sales take longer than expected include:

Searches coming back with queries that need resolving. Local authority searches in particular can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on the council, and some councils are significantly slower than others.

Mortgage offers taking time to issue or being subject to conditions. If your buyer's lender has questions about the property, that can pause things while they're resolved.

Missing documents or title issues. Older properties especially can sometimes have gaps in the title history that need sorting before exchange can happen.

Slow responses from any party in the chain. One solicitor, one lender, one party who doesn't reply to an email for two weeks can hold up everyone else.

If There's a Chain

A chain is simply a line of connected transactions. If you're selling to someone who is also buying, and they're selling to someone who is also buying, everyone in that line needs to be ready to exchange and complete at the same time.

According to the HomeOwners Alliance, around 30% of property sales fall through before completion, and chain collapse is one of the leading causes. The longer the chain, the more moving parts there are, and the more likely something is to cause a delay or a breakdown.

This doesn't mean a chain sale will always take longer, but it does mean the timeline is more dependent on factors outside your direct control.

If Your Property Is Leasehold

Leasehold sales tend to take longer than freehold ones as a rule. The reason is that your solicitor needs to obtain a management pack from the freeholder or managing agent, which contains information about the service charge, ground rent, any planned works to the building, and the current state of the lease.

Management companies are not legally required to respond within a specific timeframe, and some take weeks to produce the pack. The Leasehold Advisory Service notes that delays in obtaining leasehold information are one of the most consistent causes of extended conveyancing timescales. If you own a leasehold property, instructing your solicitor as early as possible and requesting the management pack immediately can save several weeks.

What You Can Do to Speed Things Up

The single biggest thing sellers can do is instruct a solicitor early, ideally before an offer is even accepted, so that the initial paperwork and ID checks are already underway.

Beyond that, responding quickly to any requests from your solicitor, having your documents ready, and choosing a firm that communicates proactively rather than reactively all make a meaningful difference. The Law Society's guidance on the home buying and selling process sets out what a well-run conveyancing process looks like, and it's worth knowing what to expect so you can hold your solicitor to it.

The Solicitor You Choose Matters More Than Most People Realise

A competitive quote is important, but the cheapest firm isn't always the fastest or most responsive. Some solicitors carry heavier caseloads, use older systems, or are slower to communicate, and that can add weeks to a process that should be straightforward.

When you compare quotes on MoveGuide, you're not just comparing prices. You're comparing firms that have been vetted for their service standards. Getting multiple quotes takes less than a minute, and it means you can make a decision based on the full picture rather than just the number you were handed by your estate agent.