Conveyancing Explained: What Happens Between Offer and Completion
The moment a seller accepts an offer feels like the conclusion of a long process.
In practice, it is the beginning of a different one.
From offer accepted to completion, the average transaction in England takes between ten and fourteen weeks when the process runs smoothly. Understanding what happens during those weeks, and what your responsibilities are as a seller, is the most practical preparation you can make for the period ahead.
Instructing a conveyancer
The first step after accepting an offer is to instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to handle the legal transfer of ownership. Your conveyancer will act on your behalf throughout the transaction, managing the legal documentation, liaising with the buyer’s solicitor, and ensuring that the transfer of title is completed correctly. If you have not already instructed one, do so immediately after accepting an offer. A conveyancer who is briefed and ready to act from day one removes one of the most common sources of delay in the early weeks of a transaction.
Your conveyancer will ask you to complete a series of forms providing information about the property. The TA6 Property Information Form asks for details about boundaries, disputes, alterations, and utilities. The TA10 Fittings and Contents Form specifies what is included in the sale. Completing these accurately and promptly is one of the most significant contributions a seller can make to keeping the transaction moving.
Title and searches
Your conveyancer will obtain the title deeds for the property and prepare a contract pack for the buyer’s solicitor. If the property is leasehold, this pack will also include the management pack from the freeholder or managing agent, which contains information about service charges, ground rent, and any planned works. The management pack can take several weeks to obtain and is frequently the cause of leasehold transaction delays. If you own a leasehold property, apply for the management pack as early as possible.
The buyer’s solicitor will conduct searches through the local authority, water authority, and other relevant bodies. These identify planning constraints, flood risk, drainage issues, and environmental factors that may affect the property. Searches typically take a few days to a few weeks, depending on the local authority. The seller has no direct role in this stage but being available to respond quickly to any queries the searches raise helps maintain momentum.
Enquiries
Once the buyer’s solicitor has reviewed the contract pack and searches, they will raise enquiries: questions about specific aspects of the property or the documentation. Your conveyancer will put these to you and relay your responses. The enquiries stage is where transactions most commonly slow down. Responding to each enquiry promptly, and with accurate information, keeps the process moving. Delaying responses or providing incomplete answers extends the timeline and in some cases causes buyers to lose confidence in the transaction.
If you have carried out building works, your conveyancer may ask you to provide planning permissions, building regulations certificates, or completion certificates. Gathering these documents before marketing begins, rather than searching for them during the transaction, saves significant time.
Exchange and completion
Exchange of contracts is the point at which the transaction becomes legally binding for both parties. You and the buyer each sign identical contracts, your conveyancer holds a deposit from the buyer, and a completion date is agreed. At this point, neither party can withdraw without financial penalty.
Completion is the day ownership transfers. Your conveyancer receives the balance of the purchase price, the keys are handed over, and the title is registered in the buyer’s name at HM Land Registry. From this point, the property is no longer yours.
The period between offer and completion rewards sellers who stay organised, respond promptly, and keep their conveyancer informed of anything that may affect the transaction.
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This article was originally published by BriefYourMarket and is reproduced here with their permission.
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