Conveyancing timelines are stretching beyond 17 weeks – brokers who act early can still get clients into their new home before Christmas
Clients who want to be in their new home by Christmas are running out of time. Their mortgage broker may be the best ally they have left.
UK property transactions take around 120 days on average to complete once an offer is accepted, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. That is roughly 17 weeks, which is around 60% longer than it was in 2007. For buyers yet to instruct a solicitor, the window is closing fast.
Laura Catania, partner and head of conveyancing at Attwells Solicitors, puts the instruction deadline at mid-September for anyone targeting a festive completion. “Buyers hoping to be settled in their new home before Christmas should ideally instruct a conveyancer by mid-September,” she said. “Starting the process early gives you the best chance of completing before the festive period and provides some flexibility if unexpected delays arise.”
What causes conveyancing delays?
Conveyancing moves through a fixed sequence: searches, enquiries, survey review, exchange and completion. Each stage carries delay risk.
Local authority search backlogs, unresolved title issues and survey findings are among the most persistent causes of overruns. Research tracking the rise in UK property transaction times confirms that 42% of conveyancers list lengthy timelines as one of their top three frustrations.
Catania points to client behaviour as the factor professionals can most influence. “While some delays are outside your control, buyers and sellers can help keep transactions moving by having all relevant property documents ready before a transaction starts – including warranties and guarantees – responding promptly to requests and returning paperwork quickly,” she said.
How brokers can support the conveyancing process
The broker-conveyancer relationship is rarely formalised, but closer coordination makes a practical difference. Brokers who secure a mortgage in principle early reduce one of the most consistent sources of friction.
Communicating proactively with a client’s solicitor on outstanding lender conditions can prevent small issues from stalling exchange. Those who want context on how broker-lender coordination is reshaping transaction efficiency will find the principles apply equally here.
Valuation queries or underwriting issues arriving late can push exchange past a target date. Brokers handling festive completions must also account for December lender closures, which add unplanned days to an otherwise straightforward application.
Why early conveyancing referrals make a difference
Referring clients to a conveyancer before an offer is formally accepted, not after, compresses the overall timeline. Conveyancers instructed early can run identity checks, obtain title documents and prepare draft contracts in parallel with the mortgage application.
Catania speaks further on the risk of delay: “For anyone hoping to wake up in their new home on Christmas morning, the worst thing you can do is leave the process until the last minute. Starting early and being proactive throughout can help minimise delays and increase the chances of completing before Christmas.”
Around one in three property sales fail to reach completion each year, costing sellers around £400 million, according to data on GOV.UK. Brokers who treat the conveyancing process as part of their client service are better placed to protect both the transaction and the relationship.
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